Collection consists of Joseph Crawhall's correspondence, notes, memoranda, and manuscripts related to his research on engraver Thomas Bewick (1753-1828).

The Burney family manuscript collection consists chiefly of material created by Fanny Burney (1752-1840), whose novel, Evelina (1778), was a bestseller during her life time and is still in print, as well as by Burney family members and friends. The manuscript collection contains correspondence, letter fragments, and a journal kept by Fanny Burney (1812), and other materials by Burney herself, other members of her family, and members of their circle. The collection also includes significant correspondence for her father, the musician and musical historian Charles Burney (1726-1814).

The David Hume Collection contains letters and other ephemera brought together from multiple acquisitions. The principal manuscripts are found in is the bound volume containing letters from David Hume to the Comtesse de Boufflers. There are also letters from Jean-Jacques Rousseau and others for a total of 59 letters. This collection of letters was the basis for the anonymously edited Private Correspondence of David Hume with Several Distinguished Persons, Between the Years 1761 and 1776. Now First Published From the Originals. (London: Printed for Henry Colburn and Co., 1820.) One of the McGill copies of this book belonged to the Montreal lawyer and book collector Frederick Griffin (1798-1877). In addition to this volume there are eight other Hume letters. Some of these have been published by Professor Klibansky and Ernest C. Mosser in New Letters of David Hume. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1954). Finally, there are photographic copies of Hume manuscripts held by the Royal Society of Edinburgh and typed copies of official letters on Canada from the manuscripts of Sir Mark Dalrymple.

The collection consists of an inventory list; a volume labelled "Equipment. Steamer Relief / Pontoons & Wrecking Plant / Lower St. Lawrence / 19 May 1882 - 22 February 1883," containing 22 used pages.; a volume labeled " Wrecks & Disasters," a scrapbook of clippings and printed documents, 1882-1884, with 39 used pages; a blank "Share Subscribers Register" consisting of 6 pages; and a "Winter Navigation of River St. Lawrence / Copy of Log of Steamer 'Folger,' of the Dominion Salvage and Wrecking Co., Montreal, 1883, containing 12 pages.

This collection consists of letters to Sir James Craig and others on the subject of Lower Canada, 1810-1815.

Collection contains primarily of 9 photograph albums containing 457 silver print photographs, and 4 printed items. It also includes records relating to Canadian railways and an export catalogue from the Canadian Car and Foundry Company.

Three letters from Seaton relating to the Rebellion of 1837, including a letter to General Fitzroy Sommerset about the capture of St-Eustache.

The Coppenrath Collection of Voyageurs Contracts for the North West Company partners contains 52 contracts for the period from approximately 1800 to 1821. These document the terms of engagement for men going into the North West . Voyageur contracts are of particular interest for study of the fur trade, Canada's first major industry, because they document the conditions of employment for many of the journeymen ("engagés") involved in the trade, both those who worked on the Ottawa River and those who "wintered" in the North West. The contracts are dated from 1800 to 1821 with printed forms from before 1800 being used in some cases. A significant number of outfitters are included namely the firm of McTavish, McGillivrays & Co. with various partners including John Ogilvy and Thomas Thain, Pierre de Rocheblave and earlier partnership – McTavish, Frobisher & Co. As well, there are contracts with lesser known outfitters. These contracts provide not only the names of the "engagés" but usually their place of residence and the conditions and terms of their employment.

This collection contains a deed of assignment prepared for the firm Patterson and Co., created on 17 April 1811, with several renewals and additions, the last of which was on 22 June 1814. The deed of assignment includes many merchants and firms as attorneys or signatories, many of whom were involved in the fur trade and the North West Company.

Collection consists of photograph albums and publications from Jean Drapeau's library related to significant events that occurred during his mandates as mayor of Montreal (1954 to 1957 and 1960 to 1986). Photograph albums, brochures, and publications represent Expo 67 and its reiteration, Man and his World (Terre des Hommes), which ran from 1968 to 1986. The 1976 Montreal Olympic Games are documented in programmes and photograph albums. The collection also includes records of Drapeau's political life, including transcripts of his speeches from 1955-1957, photograph albums related to his municipal political party, the Civic Party of Montreal (Parti civique de Montréal), and presentation copies of books.