Series consists chiefly of 38 manuscripts related to the North West Company. Among the Masson manuscripts there are other series of letters; as well as journals kept by North-Westers and various business documents. Some of this material exists as originals; others are contemporary copies - the George Keith letters for example are contemporary copies on paper watermarked 1827. The collection also includes some duplicate texts - contemporary copies or later nineteenth-century copies that in some cases represent edited versions of the texts. Samuel Wilcocke's account of the death of Benjamin Frobisher exists in a draft original (or contemporary copy) and in a late nineteenth-century clean copy. Of course Benjamin Frobisher did not die in the dramatic circumstances as recorded by Wilcocke, but peacefully in Quebec City in 1821.

This series documents Trigger’s scholarly contributions, in the form of conference papers, publications, reviews, and editorial work for peer-reviewed publications, mainly from his years at McGill University’s Department of Anthropology, 1963-2006. Professional correspondence is also found within these files, which are arranged by date of conference or publication date. These files demonstrate Trigger’s prolific publication output, his correspondence with an extensive network of colleagues in the international
research community, as well as the diversity of his research interests, ranging from indigenous cultures to ancient civilizations.

Files relating to conferences and symposia, as well as reviews, articles, and books provide insight into Trigger’s approaches to organizing his research, some of the major contributions he made to the field, as well as his role as a much sought after lecturer. Record types include correspondence, conference proceedings, manuscripts, articles, reprints, editorial guidelines, drafts, and lecture notes, 1949-2006 (Container 1, Files 1- 43; 44-134; Container 3, Files 135-206; Container 4, Files 209-278; Container 6, Files
290-296; 298-308; 311-312, 316, 320, 335-336; Container 7, Files 337-349, 351-361, 363-404; Container 8, Files 420, 422-424; Container 9, Files 430-484; Container 11, Files 524-537; Container 12, Files 561-564; Container 14, Files 573-578, 580, 586-588, 599; Container 15, Files 602-604, 619-620; Container 16, Files 641-642, 645-646; Container 17, Files 647-659, 661, 664-674, 676-723). These files document Trigger’s passion for archaeology, his efforts to stay current in terms of the literature in the field, and his respected position in the international arena. For example, Trigger was the editor of Volume I of the prestigious Cambridge History of the Native Peoples of the Americas. Artwork for this volume, as well as book reviews, reveal Trigger’s level of involvement with the project, 2003 (Container 14, File 598). Conferences of note include the Seagram Lectures I and II at the University of Toronto (1986) where Trigger delivered a paper entitled “The Historian’s Indian: Native Americans in Canadian Historical Writing from Charlevoix to the Present”, 1989-1997, 1985-1986 (Container 1, Files 41, 42), and the Fourth Gordon Childe Memorial Lecture at the Institute of Archaeology, the University of London (1982). Trigger’s lecture, entitled “If Childe were Alive Today”, 1981-1983 (Container 3, File 175) is a fine example of his long standing research interest in V. Gordon Childe and Childe’s contributions to archaeological theory and his relationship to Soviet/ Marxist archaeology, 1977-1986 (Container 3, Files 142-143, 174-175.

Materials relating to Trigger’s books include drafts of published and unpublished manuscripts, research notes, reviews, and correspondence with colleagues and publishers, as well as translations of these works into numerous languages, 1990-2004 (Container 1, Files 19, 20; Container 3, File 192; Container 6, Files 294, 311; Container 15, File 621-622; Container 7, File 372; Container 9, Files 482-483). Records pertaining to Trigger’s seminal texts contain complete drafts, manuscript notes, correspondence, and publication information. For example, The Children of Aataentsic, 1975-2002 (Container 2, Files 95-96; Container 3, File 196; Container 7, File 342 ; Container 9, File 434, Container 14, File 579; Container 17, File 662, 663, 675, 710, 718 ); Understanding Early Civilizations, 1995-2005 (Container 6, File 295; Container 11, Files 525-537; 6 Container 15, File 618), and A History of Archaeological Thought, 1989-2004 (Container 6, File 301; Container 7, File 340, 371; Container 9, File 460) are comprehensive in this regard. In particular, A History of Archaeological Thought, which also includes notes for the revised edition, 1991-2002 (Container 11, Files 524), as well as correspondence with Cambridge University Press regarding the index for the book, demonstrate the writing, editorial, and publication processes from the perspective of an academic in a comprehensive manner, 1989-2004 (Container 15, Files 614-1-617, 623-626).

A comprehensive list of Trigger’s publications is available in the accession file.

Series Legal, Business, and Financial Documents contains receipts, invoices, legal summons and results, bank statements, insurance accounts, and other such documents as well as 7 architectural/technical drawings and 1 photograph.

The series consists of documents related to Dorothy Duncan’s personal life, including a copy of Dorothy Duncan’s birth certificate, clippings of obituaries from Duncan’s death, and two personal photo albums (1930-1940). The photo albums are a mix of family photos, personal travel photos, and commercial postcards and photos documenting Canada, the United States of America, and various European countries.

This series consists of various listings of the musical pieces composed by Sonde, including date of composition, composer and date and location of the event where the music was played.

This series contains correspondence written by and received by Noel Noel-Buxton and Lucy Noel-Buxton in their capacity as British members of parliament and as political figures during the first half of the 20th century. Also includes some personal corresp

This series contains of Cushing's typewritten drafts of chapters from his book, The Life of Sir William Osler. The series is arranged into files corresponding to chapter divisions.

James created two formal records of his life: an incomplete autobiography and approximately 95 cm of personal diaries for the years 1936-1962. From 1939 onwards, his diary is also a running office record of his activities as Principal. James' personal notes are handwritten, but the office copy was typed by his secretary, Dorothy McMurray. While working on his autobiography following his retirement, James interfiled the two. Apart from descriptions of his activities and reflections, the James diaries contain minutes,
memoranda, letters, essays on countries visited by James, speeches and poetry. There is a separate series of pocket appointment diaries from 1919 to 1972, and gardening diaries from 1949-1959 and 1963-1969.

Juvenalia and student materials consist of two albums (1905 and 1907) of postcards; a schoolboy commonplace-book of extracts, news clippings and reflexions on religious topics (possibly digests of sermons); six volumes of secondary school notes on economic history; approximately 24 cm of examination papers, essays and notes from James' London School of Economics days; and notes for a course on the Law of Prize from the University of Pennsylvania (1925). Three volumes of personal scrapbooks cover the period 1917-1939: the first (1919-1931) includes school and university reports of standing, while the remaining two consist of newspaper articles by and about James, invitations, letters concerning his speeches and publications, and telegrams and correspondence concerning James' appointment to the School of
Commerce at McGill.

Private financial records include two volumes of day-books (1952-1954), two ledgers (1962-1970), bank statements (1937-1962), correspondence concerning investments, pensions etc. (1941-1969), and papers relating to his real estate in England.

The Type of Building series includes progress and "as finished" photographs of buildings constructed by Canada Cement. Usually there will be several photos (often as many as 20) showing the various phases of the project, both in details and in full. The projects include airports, churches, concrete masonry, homes, prestressed materials, and stadiums. Structures were built in most areas of Canada. Many of the projects, such as dams, include distance and aerial views. The majority of photos in this series appear to date from 1940 to 1980, although there are many from ca. 1915 to 1940. Nearly all photos are identified on the back or on the envelope containing them. Negatives and information sheets about the building are sometimes included. Occasionally there is correspondence, mainly of the Publicity and Sales Department of Canada Cement. (This series was called the "Old Photo" series by Company administration).