The fonds consists of records documenting William P. Wolfe's business activity as an antiquarian bookseller in Montreal with a focus on Canadiana, from primarily 1952 to 1985. There are also some scattered earlier materials. The fonds contains chiefly textual records, with one microfiche, one artifact, and a small amount of graphic materials, as well as printed matter. The records are mainly correspondence (letters received as well as copies of letters sent to contacts across Canada, the United States and Europe); there are also accompanying catalogues, auction records, receipts, inventory lists and newspaper clippings. Files are arranged alphabetically in two blocks: A-N and A-Z. Other records document the administration of Wolfe's company, including tax forms, bills, auction house receipts, auction house catalogues, receipts for office equipment, promotional materials from other businesses, newsletters and newspaper clippings. The fonds consists of the following series: Business Correspondence (1958-1984) and Financial Administration (1958-1985).
The greater portion of this material relates to his political activity, including electoral lists for Montréal and notes on qualifications of voters, ca 1895, as well as a Volunteer Electoral League notebook, 1895-1900. His daily journal covers the periods from 1899-1909 and from 1912-1915. Financial notebooks, dated 1897 to 1910, are also included.
Bellair's personal papers comprise scrapbooks, 1898-1939; biographical, parliamentary and miscellaneous notes, 1879-1945; and correspondence, 1889-1951. His professional life is reflected in files on naval affairs, 1894-1937, and in an extensive series of political papers including general correspondence and subject files, 1905-1946; material relating to committees, 1904-1930; and political 'forecasts', 1900-1945. Literary interests are revealed by notes on Sir John Fisher, 1915, and H.G. Wells, 1932-1934. Some books from Bellairs' library, with his annotations, are included in his papers.
