Collections
The Women’s Archives contain more than 170 archival fonds and collections related to the history of women in Canada, with particular emphasis on the feminist movement since the 1960s. Both individuals and grassroots organizations who worked to improve the political, social, and economic conditions of Canadian women are represented in this unique collection.
The Slovak Archives contain more than 30 archival fonds relating to individuals and organizations who were active in the Slovak communities of both Canada and the United States throughout the 20th century. It represents one of the most important collections of Slovak archival material in Canada that documents Slovak immigration as well as highlighting the role and impact that this community had in both Canada and the United States.
The Literary Archives include archival fonds and collections which document the work of various writers in French and Canadian literature from the second half of the 19th century and the 20th century.
We preserve many other archival fonds and collections relating to various subjects including music, history, teaching and even U.F.O.s.
We preserve many other archival fonds and collections relating to various subjects including music, history, teaching and even U.F.O.s.
The Archives and Special Collections has the largest collection of feminist publications in Canada, comprising of periodicals and newsletters produced by feminist groups and associations across Canada. It currently stands at just over 1400 titles and includes national publications like Branching Out and Broadside, as well as newsletters from smaller groups like Open Door, and Rural Lesbian Newsletter of British Columbia, etc.
The Slovak Archives also contain a vast collection of periodicals which document the activities of the Slovak community in Canada and the United States.
The pamphlet collection includes nearly 6,000 printed documents. The oldest pamphlet is dated 1774 and the most recent is from the 1990s. Due to their smaller size and lower quality binding (if present), pamphlets were typically ephemeral and tended to disappear quickly from circulation. The collection at the Archives and Special Collections is thus of particular importance and contains several very rare items.
Manuscripts
The Manuscript Collection at the Archives and Special Collections is varied and includes items on a wide variety of subjects and forms. They are produced on parchment or paper and most are bound. The oldest manuscripts are dated from the end of the 15th century and the most recent ones are from the 20th century.
The Rare Book Collection includes over 14,000 printed books from the 15th to the 20th centuries which cover subjects such as medicine, law, literature, philosophy, natural sciences, geography, science, architecture, history, arts, etc. The collection includes books published in Europe and America, but there is also a significant collection of Canadiana, including periodicals.
The Archives and Special Collections holds 5 incunabula (first books printed by typographical processes between 1455 and 1500). The collection also includes some fifty post-incunabula works published between 1501 and the late 1540s.
The Archives and Special Collections holds 5 incunabula (first books printed by typographical processes between 1455 and 1500). The collection also includes some fifty post-incunabula works published between 1501 and the late 1540s.
The ARCS collection of art books and artist's books is quite varied. There are several dozen artist's books, here defined first as a work of art designed by an artist, as well as several classic books illustrated by artists, illustrators and painters (more the definition of an illustrated book). The collection also includes some art books, often published by private publishers.
Facsimiles
The Facsimile Collection consists of more than a hundred titles of reproductions of various manuscripts and printed works. A facsimile can be a copy or reproduction of a book, manuscript, drawing, work of art or other valuable documents, which is as identical as possible to the original source. Facsimiles are used, for example, by students or researchers for research on a source to which they otherwise have no access, and by museums and archives for the preservation of originals.
Bernard and Sylvia Ostry donated books and documents from their personal collection to the Morisset Library at the University of Ottawa in 1985. This donation now forms the Bernard and Sylvia Ostry Collection held at the Archives and Special Collections.
The collection includes approximately 5,000 books and pamphlets, as well as some archival documents. It is an important resource for the study of Canadian and international history, economics and politics. The collection also includes works related to philosophy, literature, religion and the arts. Many of the works in this collection are signed by the authors.
The collection includes approximately 5,000 books and pamphlets, as well as some archival documents. It is an important resource for the study of Canadian and international history, economics and politics. The collection also includes works related to philosophy, literature, religion and the arts. Many of the works in this collection are signed by the authors.
Arthur Bray was born in 1925 in Ottawa, Canada, and began his flying career as a pilot in the Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. Around that time there were many reports of flying saucers sightings by Air Force pilots, and Bray became interested in Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). He studied UFOs for 46 years and wrote several books on the subject. This collection, held at the Archives and Special Collections (ARCS), consists of books and periodicals collected by Arthur Bray over the course of his research. His research papers and archives are also held at the ARCS.
A surprising collection of books by Quebec artists is preserved in the Archives and Special Collections. More than 70 Artist's books testify to the creativity and growing interest in engraving and printmaking of avant-garde artists in Quebec in the 60s and 70s. Most of the artists' books in this collection are the collaborative work of poet, typographer, printer, draughtsman, engraver, binder and sometimes photographer. The book then becomes a field of exploration, where poetry is combined with pictorial language in these works illustrated with original engravings. Books in this collection are often presented in bindings, slipcases, boxes or in a wide variety of other forms. The École des arts graphiques de Montréal, Éditions Erta, Atelier Graff, poet and typographer Roland Giguère, prolific bookbinder Pierre Ouvrard, artists Monique Charbonneau, Lyne Rivard and Josette Trépanier, among others, are featured in the collection.
The Right Honourable Jeanne Sauvé was a noted Canadian politician and governor general from 1984 to 1990. The books in this collection were donated by her husband Maurice Sauvé in 1988. The books cover a wide variety of subjects including Canadian history and politics, war, literature, art and travel.