These McGill papers are entirely concerned with his property and estate. They comprise legal documents and copies of letters (some in McGill's hand) concerning his land holdings on St. Paul St., Montréal, in Stanbridge, and in Detroit. McGill's cash book, 1809-1815, and copy by W.D. Lighthall of a deed of conveyance to McGill of some land formerly occupied by the city fortifications, 1805, are also included, as is a blue-print and sketch by W.D. Lighthall of the site of McGill's St. Paul St. house. Estate papers comprise a probate of McGill's will, copied by Alice Lighthall, and his executor's cash book.

The fonds represents over forty years of Julian Armstrong's career as a food writer and journalist. The fonds contains primarily textual records created and accumulated by Armstrong during her research into the culinary history and traditions of Quebec while a food editor with the Montreal Gazette. Series 1 consists of food research files arranged by Armstrong according to geographic location or subject. Generally, the files are arranged by Quebec town or region, but some are devoted to food research topics related particularly to Quebec, such as "tourtières". The second subseries is arranged by specific foodstuffs, such as "Maple Syrup Pie" or "Bread," or food-related topics such as chefs and restaurants, or nutritional or diet topics. Series 2 contains notebooks of Armstrong's notes taken during travels primarily in Quebec's regions with observations, interview notes, tasting notes, and information such as food prices. The notebooks begin in 1986, dating from when she began her travels in Quebec for her food reporting. Series 3 contains records related to Armstrong's publications and speaking engagements. Series 4 consists of documents created through Armstrong's participation in culinary associations such as Cuisine Canada and in various cooking contests. Series 5 contains notebooks kept by Armstrong between 1969 and 1995 tracking food prices at particular regional grocery stores, organized by food product.

Series 1: Food research files
Series 2: Notebooks
Series 3: Publications and presentations
Series 4: Associations and events
Series 5: Food price records

The fonds documents Judith Fitzgerald’s personal and professional activities as a journalist, poet, and country music enthusiast, put together by Fitzgerald herself, documenting her work from the years 1965 to 1995. The majority of the records consists of research about individuals and musical acts, as well as other work-related projects that Fitzgerald was involved in. These include notes, drafts, and published work written by Fitzgerald, as well as various publications that she collected about the subjects and projects she worked on. The fonds also notably includes Fitzgerald’s creative work, including notes, drafts, manuscripts, and copies of her published books of poetry. Other materials include correspondence between Fitzgerald and friends, publishers, and individuals and institutions that she covered in her research. In addition, the fonds includes some financial records and personal records relating to Fitzgerald’s day-to-day activities and significant events in her life. These records include her marriage certificate, scrapbooks containing collected publications on herself, and notes on her autobiography.

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).

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 chiefly consists chiefly of records related to the editing and publishing work of the Muses' Company press. The fonds consists of seven series: manuscripts; financial records; publications; correspondence; records related to the Association des éditeurs anglophone de Québec; records relating to the Association of Canadian Publishers; and records relating to the Literary Press Group. Most of the records were either created or accumulated by Endre Farkas in relation to the Muses’ Co. publications between 1980 and 1995. Records relating to publishing include manuscripts of works, page proofs with corrections, editors’ and authors’ notes, published books, and publicity materials. Other production records within the fonds include correspondence, pamphlets, photographs, layouts, and drawings for covers. These manuscripts also often have accompanying materials including photos and correspondence, in particular for the Dance Agenda project. There is also correspondence including exchanges with authors such as Ken Norris, Kenneth Radu, Katharine Beeman, Elias Letelier-Ruz, Ian Stephans, and Sharon H. Nelson as well as notes to Leonard Cohen. The company's financial records in the fonds consist income tax receipts, statement of earnings, reports of sales of books, buyers, quotes, invoices, funding applications, contracts and correspondence. Notable financial records include book sales from the McGill University Bookstore, as well as the universities of Toronto, Waterloo, Calgary, and Maine. Other records include materials from the Association des éditeurs anglophone du Québec (1991-1994), the Canada Grant Council, the Association of Canadian Publishers, the Literary Press Group. Also represented is the Quanglo Tour itinerary including posters, postcards, and advertisements (1994-1995).

Fonds relates to a dining club, the Philogastric Institute of McGill, and include correspondence, principally from Richard Pennington to John Bland, as well as printed menus.

Fonds consists of many examples of Szyk's illustrations in the form of prints, commercially-reproduced illustrations, and drawing studies, as well as printed ephemera. Examples of Szyk's illustrations reproduced on commercial products or other items include postage stamps, posters, book jackets, and calendars. The fonds contains ephemera related to or containing Szyk illustrations, including newspaper clippings and issues of magazines featuring articles on Szyk or reproducing one of his designs. Box 10 contains original drawing studies, mostly for the Book of Esther. The fonds also contains materials related to an exhibition on Szyk at McGill University Library held in 1954.

Shaw's papers include memoranda, notebooks and letters mainly on natural history. There are also annual reports of the Montréal chapter of the Nicholas Agassiz Association.

The fonds consists primarily of written material, most of which seems to be from the hand of Palmer Cox (poems, speeches, drafts of published or unpublished works). There is also some graphic material, financial records and parts of correspondence.
The fonds also contains several graphic parts illustrating Brownies books in the making.