The collection consists of six of Walter Crane’s sketchbooks. Two of the sketchbooks date to the summer of 1864, and the remaining four date to the summers of 1897, 1901, 1903, and 1905. The collection’s dates offer a contrast between Crane’s early and later career as an artist. The contents feature his preliminary designs, pictorial observations of the world, and textual notes.

Crane’s sketchbooks are filled with landscapes and towns and building interiors and exteriors from Crane’s life in England and travels to Ireland. Aligned with Crane’s commissioned and published works, the sketchbooks include sketches for his book designs, a heraldic eagle, and plans for a panel painting or frieze. Flora, fauna, men, women, children, Greco-Roman figures and architectural details make up the wide range of subjects covered in the sketchbooks.

The drawings range from Crane’s rough ideas expressed in his preliminary sketches and line drawings to tonal drawings and studies of individuals, landscapes, and flowers. The drawing techniques play with perspective, topography, bodily gesture, facial expression, tone, line, outline, form, and colour.

Crane’s notations appear throughout the sketchbooks, including on the sketches themselves and on their facing pages. He also hand-wrote inspirational excerpts from poems and essays which includes quotes from Charles Kingsley and John Ruskin works.

Between blank and torn pages, the medium for the textual and visual content shifts between pen and pencil on paper. Several landscapes are full-page watercolours on paper.

Collection consists of programmes, guides, brochures, catalogues, and other ephemera from various world fairs and international exhibitions, including: Expo '86 Vancouver (1986), Expo '70 Osaka (1970), Exposition internationale in Paris (1937), Franco-British Exhibition (1908), Liverpool (1913), Exhibition universelle (1900), Latin-British Exhibition (1912), Canadian National Exhibition Toronto (1908), Golden Gate Exhibition (1939), New York World's Fair (1939), International Exhibition (1862), Irish International Exhibition (1907), New York Exhibition of the Industry of all Nations (1853), St. Louis World Fair (1904), Universal Exhibition Antwerp (1885), World's Columbian Exhibition in Chicago (1893), International Exhibition of 1876 in Philadelphia (1876), Chicago World's Fair (1934), and British Empire Exhibition (1924). The collection also includes postcards for various other world fairs and international exhibitions, and some country publications.

This collection is divided into material either by, or about, Wilder Graves Penfield. The material was collected by Lewis in order to write his biography. The fonds also includes materials associated with Mr. Lewis' writing of the biography.

The Penfield material is organized by family member, with the largest portion belonging to Wilder Penfield and his wife Helen Penfield. This material is largely personal in nature. It consists of originals and photocopies of diaries, as well as personal correspondence between Penfield and his wife, family photographs, and ephemera from a variety of social and professional events. There is also a small selection of personal correspondence between family members.

Lewis created drafts, revisions, letters concerning the development of the screenplay, and research material. Correspondence between Lewis and the family is contained in the material covering personal family matters.

Collection consists of 36 autograph letters written to James Cameron and his son Archie. The correspondence includes letters by friends, associates, and members of the Cameron family in Toronto, Lake Beauport, Scotland, England, Hull, and Montreal. Subjects include family news, freemasonry, business (regarding deed of sales), factory work in Toronto, curling, and an April Fools' Day letter. With three extant envelopes.

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).

Collection contains a manuscript letter from Henry Lyman to his wife, Mary, in Granby; dated July 25, 1849, when the druggist shop Wm. Lyman & Co. was located at 194 and 196 St. Paul St. in Montreal, the letter deals principally with the cholera epidemic in the city.

Collection contains two financial documents related to McGill College. The first is a memorandum between the College and its creditors in which the College agrees to pay out dividends and pay in installments towards the balance of the College's debt. It is signed by the individual creditors as well as by the principal of McGill College, Edmund A. Meredith. The memorandum contains a list of creditors of McGill College with their names and occupations listed, including William Lyman, druggist, Robert Abraham, printer, John Keller, merchant, and many others. A note dated 24 March 1847 with a response from representatives of the creditors is pasted on. The second document is a ledger sheet dated from 1844 to 1847 with the caption: "The Directors of McGill College to Joseph Hitchens."

Two general orders of the British Army's Forces in North America that are related to two fires that occurred in Quebec City on 28 May 1945 and 28 June 1845. The general orders contain reports detailing the sequence of events leading up to and during the fires, as well as the actions of the soldiers fighting the fires, and the damaged caused by the flames. The orders also include messages of thanks to the soldiers and their commanding officers from community leaders. Major-General James A. Hope was in command of the soldiers at Quebec City and submitted the reports to the Commander-in-Chief, the Duke of Wellington.

Consists of notes on the Rideau Canal's traffic.