A black and white photo of a man smiling, sitting outdoors on rocky ground, wearing a dark sweater, light-colored pants, and a wristwatch. In the background, there's a rural landscape with houses and trees.

Photo by Ira Spring

“Curiosity was
Harvey Edwards’
main spring.”

–Mountain Gazette, February 2012 Issue

As his college-educated, postwar generation settled into conventional lives, he went to Europe in the mid-1950s. There, he witnessed the rebuilding of the war-torn continent, including ski areas and Alpine resort towns, to which he felt drawn. He reported his dispatches to the New York Herald Tribune and wrote articles about the topic for Ski Magazine.

Black and white photograph of two adults and two children outdoors in winter, with snow on the ground and a fence in the background. The man on the left has light skin, is smiling, and is wearing a dark shirt and trousers. The woman next to him has light skin, short hair, and is wearing a white turtleneck sweater. The children are standing in front; one is a girl with light skin, short hair, and a dark jacket, making a gesture with her hands, and the other is a boy with light skin, wearing a striped shirt, jacket, and a winter hat with stars, smiling.

A chance encounter

in the winter of 1963 prolonged his stay.

In the cabin of the precipitous Brévent cable car in Chamonix, he struck up a conversation with Suzanne Rahmat, a Parisian engineer. She was bilingual, French and English, and well educated, a graduate of École Polytechnique Féminine. Harvey had met his challenge, and he responded. They were married in Paris in June of 1965, and settled in Chamonix, soon thereafter. Their two sons, Fredy and Stanley were born in 1966 and 1969, respectively.

Their home in Chamonix reflected the history of the agrarian valley. It was a solid masonry farmhouse, built ca 1750, originally with two stables in the back, one for a donkey and one for a cow, and a hayloft above. It was within walking distance of the center of the city. In it, Harvey set up a small office with a view of Mont Blanc. At first, he wrote books.

–Mountain Gazette, February 2012 Issue

–> Read Harvey’s WRITINGS

The Creation of Harvey Edwards’ Films

Filming is more demanding of resources than book or magazine writing.

In 1973, Harvey set up Edwards Films. Though a capable photographer himself, he knew that professionals were better and thus brought in some of the best, including Fletcher Manley, Fletcher Anderson, both one-time Mountain Gazette contributors, and Pierre Boulat, who was known for photography in LIFE Magazine. Audiovisual photographers filled in contributed skills. Within a decade, he had produced 15 films related to skiing and backpacking themes.

–Mountain Gazette, February 2012 Issue

Harvey Edwards sights a shot through the lens of Cinematographer Fletcher “Duke” Manley

Photo by Suzy Edwards

But another challenge arose

Despite its status as mountaineering and skiing center, Chamonix remained a provincial city. Harvey felt that his two teenage sons should benefit from better educational opportunities back in the USA. So, in July 1982, the family resettled in upstate New York.  Edwards Films then refocused on softer themes, though the humor that lurked in all his films remained. The Rabbi’s Dilemma looked at the Jewish faith in the chainsaw culture, and the Biologist, the Poet and The Funeral Director dealt with the fundamental questions of life and death. In all, he produced more than 30 films. His last effort was his first novel, Road Show finished the week before he died October 10, 2011.

–Mountain Gazette, February 2012 Issue

–> Read Harvey Edwards full obituary by the Mountain Gazette
Photo by Peter Miller

About Us

WE ARE STAN AND FRED EDWARDS, Harvey Edwards’ sons. We decided to make this website to help share our father’s legacy with you!

We felt that it would be irresponsible to sit on all the material Harvey left behind. As a result, we started the Harvey Edwards Archive, LLC and this website for all to see and enjoy.

From his home base in Ottawa, Fred works as a professional sound recordist in the film industry. He frequently visits the Tetons where Stan and their mother, Suzy, live.

FRED:

Stan’s office faces the mountains, just like Harvey’s did, and when he is not in there, he can be found on Teton Pass, the Teton River, or digging in his Teton soil.

STAN:

Growing up as an Edwards:

Growing up, Fred and Stan were envious of their parents. “Suzy and Harvey would leave us with the babysitter and head off to the mountains for their next adventure,” said Fred.

When Stan and Fred had kids of their own, they followed in their parent’s footsteps by heading out on adventures with the babysitter paid and pizza money on the counter.

Suzy found some Rossignol Haute Route skis on Corbett's Cabin at the top of Rendezvous Mountain in Jackson, Wyoming, where she resides at the Sage Living Center.