McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
William Wolfe fonds
General material designation
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Based on contents of the fonds.
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
Reference code
CA RBD MSG 648
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
4.38 m of textual records
13 photographs
1 microfiche
1 artifact
183 printed items
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
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Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
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Archival description area
Name of creator
(1910-1995)
Biographical history
William P. Wolfe, also referred to his clients as Bill, was a Montreal antiquarian dealer of old and rare books, paintings, prints, maps, and manuscripts specializing in Canadiana. Born in Regina in 1910, Wolfe became interested in historical memorabilia at age fourteen. He moved with his parents to Montreal at age fifteen in 1925. Wolfe worked for thirty years as a book printer until 1956 when he opened up his antiquarian book store in Old Montreal, William P. Wolfe Bookseller Inc. He ran his business during the approximate years of 1950 and 1980. Wolfe first opened his shop at 400 Atlantic Avenue in Montreal from roughly October 1958 and June 1959. He then moved to 2050 Goyer in Montreal around 1959. Wolfe moved his business one final time in 1964 and remained there until 1980. In October of 1980, Wolfe sold his business and established the Canadiana Gallery where he continued the business of buying and selling early Canadian paintings, topographical watercolours and engravings, antiquarian maps, historical and literary manuscripts, and ephemera. At this gallery, Wolfe took on the role as director from October 1980 to 1984 which was located at 4920 Maisonneuve W. Boulevard in Montreal. Wolfe retired in 1986 and died around 1995.
Custodial history
Two acquisitions labelled part 1 and part 2 took place for Wolfe’s papers. Part 1 occurred prior to 1984 but the exact date is unknown and part 2 was acquired in 1988. Both parts came in, organized alphabetically in clearly titled folders for documents relating to business correspondence and in chronological order for the financial administration records.
Scope and content
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).
Notes area
Physical condition
Requires eventual rehousing; some onionskin paper deteriorating.
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
The records were kept in original order as they arrived. Roughly less than 1% of the records were found outside of folders, these have been placed into their intended folder, while one record was given a new folder. These files were divided into the Business Correspondence or the Financial Administration series based on their form and content. Extra copies and irrelevant material were weeded from the file
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Language and script note
The language of the material is predominantly English, with a small number of textual records and printed matter in French, German, Hebrew, Portuguese and Spanish.
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
The materials are open for consultation to researchers, with the exemptions of one associational confidential communication (file title named “Confidential”), closed until after 50 years from the date of the death of the individual it pertains to.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
Accruals
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
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Description record identifier
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Status
Revised
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Adapted by Anna Dysert (2024) from finding aids prepared for GLIS 641: Archival Arrangement and Description by students Mitchell Fridman, Andrea Nechita, Cassandra Ricafort, and Kate Rozon (March 2014). Inventories for boxes 01-06 verified by Anna Dysert against box contents (March 2024).