These papers contain Forbes' personal files of correspondence and clippings, some design materials and films of McGill football games. The personal files contain biographical materials such as his birth certificate, military commission and service records, and letters concerning his employment at McGill. Other files concern Forbes' designs for decorations for the 1951 Royal Visit, the McGill C.O.T.C., the Forbes Trophy for athletics, Forbes' involvement with McGill athletics and museums, and the career of his brother Kenneth Forbes, a painter. A number of diplomas and certificates awarded Forbes, as well as a photograph album, complete this series. Materials for designs include files on heraldry, a collection of illustrations from 19th century periodicals, designs for the Royal Visit decorations (a few, by Percy Nobbs, were used for the 1939 visit), maps, linocuts, bookplates, and programmes designed by Forbes for McGill events, ca 1925-1950. Thirty-four reels of motion picture film record McGill extramural football games (1947-1951). Films with sound track show the construction of the Currie gymnasium (1939-1940), and demonstrate the swimming techniques of Matt Mann. Additional biographical material is provided by obituary notices and letters of condolence to Mrs. Forbes, and by clippings of articles about Forbes.

Madame Fischer's papers are evenly divided between records of her own career as a performer and material on the Sarah Fischer Concerts. Her performing career is documented by newsclippings, tributes and programmes, reports from the Royal College of Music, and publicity photographs in opera costume. Most of the approximately 50 items of correspondence date from the last five years of her life and concern the disposal of her papers. Taped interviews, in which she discusses her career, include recordings from 1918 and 1925. Material connected with the Sarah Fischer Concerts comprises 143 programmes (1941-1975), press notices, announcements, and a report for 1973-1974. Photographs from this period show Fischer with government and musical celebrities.

Lewis' papers consist of a few scattered items apparently assembled as part of his research for Royal Victoria Hospital 1887-1949, Montreal, McGill University Press, 1969. Newspaper clippings, 1932-1964, deal with Montréal and R.V.H. history. Lewis' correspondence, 1965-1971, with the Dominion Archivist, the McGill Archives, Dr. John Cleland, Mrs. Ellen Scrimger and others discusses various historical materials connected with the hospital. Also includes notes on material in the R.V.H. archives, some hospital newsletters and photographs, and a few reprints and addresses.

This material features a small amount of medical papers: a manuscript of Bell's address on the subject of nursing training to the Alumnae Association of the R.V.H. School for Nurses, 1910; a letter introducing Bell to Dr. Viktor Hueter of Marburg, Germany, from Francis Shepherd, 1891; and a laboratory report to Bell from R.F. Ruttan, on kidney stones, 1900. Bell's map of the Riel Rebellion, 1885, is also included. A series of five lectures and papers on intestinal ailments, syphilis, rodent ulcer of the face, cancer of the larynx and kidney disease is supplemented by 19 case reports, 1896-1907, 7 of patients whose primary symptom was abdominal pain, and 12 suffering from sore or swollen throat. The remainder of the papers consist almost entirely of obituary notices, newsclippings and resolutions in memory of Bell and about half a dozen lettes of sympathy, including one from Sir William Osler.

This archive contains letters and copies of letters, from the Wisdom sisters to one another, describing their experiences at Royal Victoria College, 1900-1908. There is also a letter from Stephen Leacock, accepting an invitation to deliver an address, and two from Hilda Oakeley to Mrs. Wisdom. Programmes (particularly of R.V.C. plays and sports events), clippings, and photographs are also included. There are also course notes for C.W. Colby's Renaissance history and William Caldwell's history of modern philosophy.

Snell's research files for his history of Macdonald College contain drafts of the book, and files of notes, extracts and clippings collected as background material. Included are two volumes of an attendance register from an unidentified Québec public school, 1857-1869.

The bulk of Girdwood's papers concern his work in forensic medicine. Other materials cover his research in photography, and his general medical and scientific interests. Girdwood's career as medical-legal consultant is documented by 24 cm of his notes and reports, together with some correspondence, on four poisoning trials: People vs Emma Davis (Malone, N.Y., 1881), Queen vs Provencher and Boisclair (Sorel, 1867), Queen vs Joseph Ruel (St. Hyacinthe, 1868), and Queen vs David Prevost and Damase Brunet (L'Orignal, 1881). There are also coroner's autopsy reports and notes for four cases; Girdwood's memoires of ten cases on which he served as consultant; Rogers and Girdwood's submission to the Home Office, London, on the strychnine test, together with letters to Lancet and the Times on the same subject; and notes on the counterfeiting of stamps (1893). His interest in medical photography is reflected in lists of X-rays taken by him (1898-1899) and reprints of three articles. His general scientific and medical activities are represented by a scrapbook of newsclippings on cholera (1854), a lecture on gold presented to the Natural History Society of Montréal (n.d.), essays on strychnine (1864) and water filtration (1869), a review of a textbook in physiology (1864) and some reprints, including convocation addresses to the Medical Faculty. Finally, there is a manuscript copy of an address to the graduating class of Applied Science in 1881 and a small scrapbook of printed articles by Girdwood's father, G.F. Girdwood, M.D.

The papers contain printed biographical materials: newsclippings on Craik's appointment as Dean (1889), his resignation (1901) and his death, as well as printed addresses by and in honour of him. There is also a typescript copy of the Medical Faculty's resolution at the time of Craik's death. A letter from Craik to a Miss Charleton (1904) thanks her for assistance in compiling an obituary.

Noad's papers document his research, and to a lesser extent, his teaching of English and comparative literature. They comprise 1.5 m of binders containing notes, clippings, extracts, and bibliographies on literary topics, e.g. imaginary voyages, memoires, the gentleman in satire, "Ossian", the young Byron, Spanish literature. A few binders contain lecture notes for his courses. Unbound materials include research notes on Ugo Foscolo and 19th century Italian poetry, lecture notes for courses in 19th century English poetry, files of clippings on 19th and 20th century writers, and bibliography cards for Elizabethan through 18th century literature.