McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Personal and Family Series
Series
2.1 meters of textual records.
450 slides: col; 35mm.
10 photographs: b&w, col.
The personal and family series consist of files related to Herman "Jackrabbit" Smith Johannsen as well as Alice Johannsen's private papers.
Herman "Jackrabbit" Smith Johannsen files (Files 1-35) date from 1884 to 1987 and include honorary degrees, awards, newspaper clippings, newsletters, ski related files such as Ski Marathon, Ski Museum, and publications by Jackrabbit- a collection of small "Skiers' Books" and "Le systeme a deux cires Jackrabbit pour ski de fond". Files related to Norway consist of notes, photographs, correspondence and newspaper clippings. Part of the series is correspondence related to "Jackrabbit" such as incoming handwritten letters, birthday cards to "Jackrabbit", handwritten letters in Norwegian to Alice and her sister Peggy from "Jackrabbit" (some in Norwegian), handwritten and typed letters to "Jackrabbit" in Norwegian from Alice and and relatives in Norway, some photographs, and fan mail. Letters from relatives in Norway to Alice and other family correspondence is almost entirely handwritten.
Black and white and color photographs as well as some negatives (Files 36-48) ranging from 1913-1991, consists of pictures of "Jackrabbit", Alice, friends and family. Also included are a few black & white photographs of Ron Turnham.
Slides in color taken by Alice Johannsen deal mostly with her father whether it is the Ski Marathon, trips to Norway, or Jackrabbit's other events. These slides span from 1956 to 1988 (Files 718-735, 738). There are also slides of Alice in Mont Tremblant in 1964 (File 736), and slides of Alice and Ron Turnham during the Royal Visit in 1959 (File 737).
Alice Johannsen's daily diaries and appointment books are handwritten and date from 1935 to 1988 (Files 49-55).
Files related to Alice Johannsen's Beaconsfield residence and its construction span from 1948 to 1982 (Files 56-58). Files related to household (handwritten Christmas lists) date from 1941 to 1980 9Files 59-61). Files related to household (handwritten Christmas lists) date from 1941 to 1980 (Files 59-61). Files documenting Alice's hobbies and interests, such as budgies, designs, and souvenirs from Expo 1967 range from 1946 to 1985 (Files 62-66).
Personal papers range from 1911 to 1990 and include passports, birth certificate, ration books and invitation to the White House from Mrs. Kennedy (Files 71, 78-79). Present also is Alice's curriculum vitae, biography, correspondence regarding jobs not taken spanning from 1935 to 1989 (Files 81-83), wedding gifts correspondence and marriage articles from the years 1940 to 1946 (Files 81-68), Ron Turnham's curriculum vitae and will from 1975 to 1978 (Files 69-70). There are also files containing business cards, electoral lists from Mont St. Hilaire, driver's license, pension and health plan, and charitable contributions dating between 1971 and 1991 (Files 72-77).
Included in the series also are newspaper clippings about Alice and Alice's brother Robert Johannsen from the Years between 1937 and 1984 (Files 84-85).
Alice's involvement in various societies and organizations (The James McGill Society, Women's Associates of McGill, Sigma Xi, Lake Placid Historical Society, Adirondack Trail Improvement Society, Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing, The Viking Ski Club, Canadian Scandinavian Foundation) dates from 1925 to 1990 (Files 80, 86-101).
Alice's interest in traveling is shown in files with her handwritten reflections on trip to Norway, Switzerland, London, Grand Canyon and others (Files 102-115). These files date between 1935 and 1986. An interesting scrapbook from a tour to Norway and Sweden organized by Alice in 1938 is to be found in file 104.
Large part of this series form correspondence files ranging from 1915 to 1991. This is mostly personal correspondence with family and friends, and a small portion of official correspondence. The official correspondence deals mainly with subjects regarding "Jackrabbit", and also includes letters regarding Alice's entry in Who is Who in America, correspondence with Prime Minister P. E. Trudeau and McGill Alumni (Files 118-129). Some correspondence files also contain outgoing letters and notes by Alice, and photographs. Included are handwritten letters, some of which are in Norwegian, between Alice's mother and father and herself.
Alice's passion for writing is documented in several files dating between 1936 and 1954, containing mostly handwritten article and song drafts, notes and correspondence (Files 117, 130-144).
An important part of Alice Johannsen's personal series are files documenting her academic training. This consists mostly of her course notes and textbooks from Newark Museum Apprenticeship, correspondence, Carnegie scholarship documents, traveling exhibition notes, draft for British Museum Diploma Thesis, an original Bachelor of Science Diploma from McGill University, awards and honorary degrees. These files date from the years 1928 to 1981 (Files 145-169).