Fonds consists of papers documenting the career of William J. Oliver, relating to his work as a journalist, as a contributor to Fox News, as a filmmaker for Parks Canada, and as an associate of Michael Lerner's. The papers are arranged in three series: Correspondence; Writings; and Printed material and memorabilia. Also included are films by Oliver on Canadian wildlife and national parks.
Oliver, William John, 1887-1954 : William J. (Bill) Oliver was born in England in 1887 and immigrated to Canada in 1910, settling in Alberta. He found work as a camera assistant in the studio of photographer Frederick Cooper and in 1911 began to take pictures for the Morning Albertan. In 1912 he established his own studio, the W.J. Oliver Photographic Studio, and joined the Calgary Herald as a staff photographer. In the early 1920s, Oliver began free-lancing for the Topical Press Agency in London and for Parks Canada, providing them with wilderness shots and publicity about Canada's national parks.
Oliver was also interested in motion pictures and owned a movie camera as early as 1917. Around 1924, he was appointed a Canadian representative of Fox News of New York, and for the next five years provided Fox with news footage from Alberta, the prairies and B.C.
In 1931, Oliver was commissioned by Parks Canada to make a film about Grey Owl, which became the two-reeler The Beaver Family. Other Oliver films of Grey Owl were Pilgrims of the Wild, Grey Owl's Neighbours, and Strange Doings in Beaverland, all of which were written, directed, photographed and edited by Oliver. Oliver did many other films for Parks Canada, under its Director of Publicity J.C. Campbell and, later, Robert J.C. Stead, largely in the west but including some of Cape Breton. Oliver had great freedom in making these films and in some cases initiated the original proposals.
Although he wrote the films, directed and photographed them, and often edited them, the footage was sent to Parks Canada which arranged to have the prints made by the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau and, later, Associated Screen News of Montreal. The finished films did not carry Oliver's name. Oliver's association with Parks Canada ended with the Second World War. In 1947, all Parks Canada's motion picture films were transferred to the National Film Board.
In later career, Oliver made a number of expeditions in America and to Africa and Asia, accompanying the American big game hunter Michael Lerner. During the late 1930s and 1940s, Oliver became a popular lecturer, sharing his adventures and photographs with various audiences throughout Alberta. He died in Calgary in 1954.
