Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1913-2003 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
41 cm of textual records.
221 photographs.
6 audio cassettes
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Wahnita Elizabeth Barker, 1900-1988, was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. In 1918 she moved to Calgary and married John Kenneth Penley. John, 1888-1956, was born in Orillia, Ontario, and moved to Kelfield, Saskatchewan with his family in 1907. In 1912 he moved to Calgary, and the following year bought out the Christopher Robinson dance school, which became the popular Penley's Dancing Academy. The Penleys taught dancing lessons during the day, and held public dances during the evenings. In the summers they ran dance pavilions at Sylvan and Chestermere Lakes. They had two children, J. Kenneth, 1921-2014, and Wahnita Louise "Nita", 1922-2002.
Ken Penley was born in Calgary and graduated in pharmacy from the University of Alberta in 1943. He married Prudence Bamlett, 1922-2014, also a pharmacist, in 1944. During the Second World War he served at the Wetaskiwin Military Hospital and overseas with the 18th Field Ambulance. After the war he established a drug store in Calgary, and has owned several pharmacies in the city since that time. He and his wife had three children, Linda (Hubert), Gordon and Don.
For further information see J. Kenneth Penley's article, "Shall We Dance? : Jack and Wahnita Penley" in Chinook Country Historical Society : Remembering Chinook Country. -- Calgary : Detselig, 2005.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Gift of Ken Penley and Mrs. L. Blachly, 1984-2003.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The fonds consists of John's and Wahnita's certificates, scrapbooks, and biographies; and financial records, promotional literature and photographs of the dancing school. Also consists of Ken's pharmacy notebooks, prescription books, financial statements, advertisements, circulars to customers, lease agreements, and miscellaneous pharmacy records. Includes recorded interviews with Wahnita and Ken Penley.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
No restrictions on access.
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
The material is in English.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Title based on contents of records.
Note
The NAs are probably copies of the PAs.
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Penley, John (Subject)
- Penley, Wahnita (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Monday, May 09, 2016