Fonds F1460 - Penley family fonds

Original Digital object not accessible

Identity area

Reference code

CA ACU GBA F1460

Title

Penley family fonds

Date(s)

  • 1913-2003 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

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.

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

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      Notes area

      Note

      Title based on contents of records.

      Note

      The NAs are probably copies of the PAs.

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      Description control area

      Description identifier

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      Status

      Level of detail

      Dates of creation revision deletion

      Monday, May 09, 2016

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