Frobisher's papers comprise a letterbook of the North-West Co. containing copies of letters written by Frobisher from April 1787 to October 1788, two original letters to Simon McTavish, 1796, and one from him, 1787, business and legal documents, largely concerning the estate of James McGill, 1810-1834, and a diary, 1806-1810, mostly a record of where he dined.

McDonald's correspondence, 1791-1860, mostly concerns business and property matters, but also includes personal correspondence. There are statements of account with McTavish, Frobisher & Co., 1799; with McTavish, Fraser & Co., 1803-1804; with McTavish, McGillivray & Co., 1808-1809. There are two volumes of autobiographical notes assembled in 1859 and covering the period 1791-1816.

There is a second copy of the autobiography, probably transcribed in the late 19th century. Written on the front fly leaf is the name: A.E. MacDonald. It has 63 leaves, and there are minor textual variants.

The fonds contains correspondence related to the Osler Library and its holdings with people such as Maude Abbott, Edward Archibald, William B. Bean, Edward Horton Bensley, Archibald Malloch, Casey Wood, as well as John Farquhar Fulton, Keeper of the Medical History Collections at Yale University's library; the fonds also contains a typescript of talks by W.W. Francis (titled "Showman's Patter") about books and other items held in the Osler Library.

Correspondence, accounts, journals maps, etc., documenting Bissett’s career with the Hudson’s Bay Company. The Photostats (in C.1 and C.2) include Bissett’s journal and accounts at the Red River, 1854-1855, and a journal “Lachine to the Sandwich Islands” 1858-1859. There are also journals for 1859 and 1867. The original documents (in C.3) include correspondence with the Hudson’s Bay Company, 1858-1875, and accounts, 1860-1873. There are Bissett’s commissions as Chief Trader (1858) and as Chief Factor (1872), and a list of Chief Traders and Factors, 1855-1879. There are also some plans / maps, sketches, and photographs including a sketch of the Hudson’s Bay Post at Honolulu, ca. 1860.

The collection consists primarily of correspondence on natural history topics between scientists and natural historians. Letters are sometimes accompanied by journal articles.

Figures with significant correspondence within the collection include: Casey Albert Wood, Henry Mousley, Robert Ridgway, and Bowdler Sharpe.

This collection consists of materials dated from approximately 1850-1981, but predominantly from 1913-1940, relating to Dr. Casey Albert Wood’s research, writing, correspondence, and personal interest concerning ornithology, vertebrate zoology, memoir and family history, Emma Shearer Wood and Blacker Library collection development, ophthalmology, politics, and current events. Materials relate chiefly to Wood’s “Introduction to the Literature of Vertebrate Zoology” (1921-1956), falconry (1930s), his unpublished memoir (1930s), the development of McGill University’s Emma Shearer Wood and Blacker Libraries (1918-1941), the history of ophthalmology (1925-1936), “Fundus Oculi” (1911-1934), his travels and research expeditions studying birds in their natural habitat (1920-1940), political interests, and correspondence relating to these activities and subjects.

There are approximately 2902 incoming and outgoing pieces of correspondence including letters, postcards, notes, telegrams, and cards. Series 1) Research and writing, contains the largest volume of correspondence relating to “the Introduction to the Literature of Vertebrate Zoology.” While Series 2) Research trips, contains the largest portion of photographs. Other materials in this collection include research notes, manuscripts, page and galley proofs, book and article reprint publications, postcards, artwork, glass plate negatives, book plates, palm leaf manuscripts, artefacts, printed ephemera, clippings, journals, and administration and financial records relating to Wood’s publications or the Emma Shearer Wood and Blacker Libraries.

There are gaps within this collection relating to geographic locations, as not all locations Wood is known to have visited are represented or are only minimally represented. Asian countries, such as China or Japan, are not represented in this collection. While geographic locations that are prominent within the collection are Fiji, Sri Lanka and India.

The series consists of 1) research and writing (ca. 1850-1956); 2) research trips (1920-1937); 3) scrapbooks (1887-1946); 4) collection development (1918-1941); 5) published books (1907-1981); 6) artefacts (191-?, 1920-1937); and 7) glass negative plates (1924, 1927, 1930, 1956).

The fonds reflects the scientific and literary outreach activities of the Montreal Natural History Society over the course of its existence and contains correspondence, minutes, financial records, council and committee reports, membership lists, donation lists, catalogues of holdings, newspaper clippings, lecture advertisements and weather maps. In addition, the fonds includes reference material to other societies and information regarding the publication and creation of the Canadian Naturalist and Quarterly Journal of Science, Canadian Naturalist and Geologist and the Canadian Record of Science.

The fonds is composed of the following series: 1) Accounting Records (1860-1917); 2) Administrative Records (1833-1887); 3) Catalogues (ca.1829-ca.1925); 4) Correspondence (1871-1896 with gaps); 5) Essays and Lectures (1829-1852); 6) Minutes (1827-1832,1844-1923); 7) Montreal Microscopical Society (1884-1906); 8) Reports (1828-1881 with gaps); 9) Weather Maps (1895-1897).

The fonds consists chiefly of architectural drawings, photographs, reports, and other records relating to Erickson's architectural projects in the Middle East. Beginning in 1975, Erickson undertook some forty projects in the Middle East, most of them large-scale public projects. He created masterplans and designed universities, museums, office buildings, residential complexes and diplomatic compounds in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Syria, among others. Some were built, others remained at a competition and project stage. Most provide an important insight into the challenges of designing buildings and cities in an environment and culture radically different from our own. The materials document Erickson's involvement with building projects in the Middle East. Erickson's concern for bold masses, indigenous forms and contextuality can be seen in designs for the Islamic University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia (1983) and the Abu Nuwas Conservation and Development Project in Baghdad, Iraq (1981). These designs are better understood as small-scale cities rather than buildings and reflect Erickson's humanist approach to the problems of Modern design. The majority of the architectural drawings in the fonds date from 1976 to 1986 and include 1,468 multimedia drawings. These include drawings for over a dozen Middle East competitions and projects such as designs for the Islamic University of Madinah, Saudi Arabia (1983), King Faisal Air Force Academy and Mosque in Al Kharj (1980) and the Etisalat Headquarters in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (1986). An additional seventeen drawings were created before 1950 and include nine drawings for an office building and eight drawings for an arts centre for Vancouver. These executed while a student at the McGill School of Architecture. The fonds also contains 102 photographs and 26 slides also dating between 1976 and 1986 as well as 4 three-dimensional scale models. These models are for the Islamic University of Madinah (1983), the Abu Nuwas Conservation and Development Project (1976), Sancst Science Halls (1981) and Etisalat Headquarters (1986). The fonds also contain competition submissions and project development documentation (1976-1987), bound in 43 volumes. Nine copies of three published books also included contain surveys of Erickson's work and career. The fonds also contains Erickson's correspondence and other papers, as well as some projects from his student years.

Le fonds se compose principalement de dessins d'architecture, de photographies, de rapports et d'autres documents relatifs aux projets architecturaux d'Erickson au Moyen-Orient. Ces documents témoignent de l'implication d'Erickson dans des projets de construction au Moyen-Orient. L'intérêt d'Erickson pour les masses audacieuses, les formes indigènes et la contextualité se retrouve dans les projets de l'Université islamique de Médine en Arabie saoudite (1983) et du projet de conservation et de développement d'Abu Nuwas à Bagdad, en Irak (1981). Ces projets sont davantage considérés comme des villes à petite échelle que comme des bâtiments et reflètent l'approche humaniste d'Erickson face aux problèmes du design moderne. La majorité des dessins d'architecture du fonds datent de 1976 à 1986 et comprennent 1 468 dessins multimédias. Ils comprennent des dessins pour plus d'une douzaine de concours et de projets au Moyen-Orient, tels que le plan de l'Université islamique de Médine, en Arabie saoudite (1983), l'Académie de l'armée de l'air du roi Fayçal et la mosquée d'Al Kharj (1980) ainsi que les quartiers généraux d'Etisalat à Abou Dhabi, aux Émirats arabes unis (1986). Dix-sept autres dessins ont été réalisés avant 1950, dont neuf dessins pour un immeuble de bureaux et huit dessins pour un centre d'art à Vancouver. Ces dessins ont été exécutés alors qu'il était étudiant à l'école d'architecture de McGill. Le fonds contient également 102 photographies et 26 diapositives datant également de 1976 à 1986 ainsi que 4 maquettes en trois dimensions. Quatre projets sont documentés par des maquettes tridimensionnelles : l'Université islamique de Madinah (1983), le Projet de conservation et de développement d'Abu Nuwas (1976), les Sancst Science Halls (1981) et les quartiers généraux d'Etisalat (1986). Le fonds contient également des soumissions de concours et de la documentation sur le développement de projets (1976-1987), reliés en 43 volumes. Neuf exemplaires de trois livres publiés contiennent également des études sur le travail et la carrière d'Erickson. Le fonds contient également la correspondance et d'autres documents d'Erickson.

Consisting of documents detailing the 1785 travels and observations of Joseph Hadfield through the Northwest fur trade of North America and to Niagara Falls (probably written after 1810). Observations are primarily economic in nature; however, there are also references to the geographical and cultural surroundings.

Consists of an English translation of a letter to the Marquis de la Jonquière written by Antoine-Louis Rouillé, comte de Jouy, secretary of state for the French Navy, at Versailles, dated 28 February 1750. The letter discusses an immediate release of prisoners of war taken during conflicts between the French and British colonies. It also includes a mention of Indigenous allies of England and France, and Indigenous people captured during the conflicts: "the Indian Prisoners among the two Nations be likewise released, but after all the French and English Prisoners are released" The letter also includes the name of examiner Josiah Willard, secretary of the province of Massachusetts-Bay.