Hamilton Public Library
Private Papers
The Library contains private papers of local Hamilton citizens and institutions. The Library offers Finding Aids for each collection. A small number of Finding Aids are available online through the Collections page of the Library website. Please click here.
Please see attached the City of Hamilton Finding Aid
Some of the relevant collections include:
- Association of Children with Learning Disabilities—Hamilton Wentworth Branch Fonds, 1969–1975: The collection consists of office files and information related to resources for both educators and parents of children with learning disabilities, including correspondence, newspaper articles, and press releases.
- Bain Pamphlets, 1868–1924: Thomas Bain was a Member of Parliament in the late 19th century and the fonds consists of approximately 250 pamphlets collected by Bain during his political career. Some of the topics covered in the pamphlets include the Riel Rebellion, the Canada Pacific Railway Scandal, the Manitoba Schools Questions, Immigration and Emigration, Free Trade, Prohibition, Lotteries, Politics, Railways, Religious Questions, Tarriffs, etc.
- Canadian Cancer Society, Hamilton Branch, 1948–1965: The Hamilton Branch of the Cancer Society was established in 1948. The collection contains Conferences and Displays, History of the Hamilton Unit 1948–1965, Miscellaneous, Mobile Little Red Door Unit, Ontario Division, Pamphlets, Scrapbook, and Women’s Committee of Ontario Correspondence.
- Clear Hamilton of Pollution (CHOP): The collection contains correspondence, leaflets, newsletters, and papers related to the work of CHOP, and specific information on air, beach, noise, and water pollution.
- Hamilton Association for the Advancement of Science and Literature: The Association was founded in 1857. The collection includes Minute Books, dating from 1880, and other documents related to the Association.
- McQuesten Papers at Whitehern: Three families, McQuesten, Lerned, and Baker, are represented in these papers. The papers consist mainly of letters, describing family activities, including health, births and deaths, and religion. A family of doctors, this is a very large collection, which contains correspondence, legal documents, and school and church papers.
- Nursing Sisters’ Association of Canada: The Hamilton Branch of the Nursing Sisters’ Association of Canada was established in 1927. The collection contains correspondence, from 1914–1975; minutes; newspaper clippings; newspapers; photographs; a postcard collection; programmes; receipts; and reports.
- Orphan & Orphans Asylum: The collection contains documents from the Boys’ Home, St Mary’s Orphan Asylum, and Stephenson’s Children Home. The material dates from the 1890s to the mid-20th century.
- Planned Parenthood Society of Hamilton: The collection contains minutes; policies; annual reports; finance; correspondence; history; clinic; general files; newspaper clippings and scrapbooks. There is also affiliated material from associated groups; conference; periodicals; and books. The Finding Aid includes a chronology of activities. The Birth Control Clinic opened in Hamilton in 1932 and was the first in Canada.
- St Andrew’s Benevolent Society Fonds, 1860–1861: Founded in 1836, the original goals were to welcome Scottish immigrants to Hamilton and provide temporary aid. Later, the aims changed to broader charitable work and to preserving Scottish heritage. The collection includes minute books and a record of interments in St Andrew’s Benevolent Society’s Lot Burlington Cemetery, Hamilton, 1885–1961, as well as pictures of prominent members of the Society.
- Women’s Institute: The collection contains the papers of Mrs Emily Belle Andrus (1888–1972), a member of the Mount Royal Branch of the Women’s Institute. She was President and Press Representative of the Association, as well as a community events reporter for the Hamilton Spectator and Hamilton Herald. The collection includes correspondence, handbooks, periodicals, photographs, programmes, and newspaper clippings.