Historical Perspectives on Canadian Publishing

Notebook of William Wilfred Campbell
Macmillan's bowling league (souvenir)
Waste heritage / by Irene Baird
Photograph of William Briggs, circa 1891, in The Canadian Album : men of Canada / edited by William Cochrane

This site features nearly 100 case studies – short essays written by Canadian scholars – on topics relating to Canadian publishing. The case studies are augmented with letters, photographs, multimedia, and other materials from publishers’ and authors’ archives at McMaster University Library, Queen’s University Archives, and The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library (University of Toronto).

Peace & War in the 20th Century

Canadian Congress for Peace and Democracy, Programme, 19-21 November [1943]
Photograph,  20 February 1962
Russell, Bertrand, Leaflet, [1967]
Abbott, Jane, Diary, 31 May 1914

This interactive, thematic website on Peace and War in the 20th Century has been designed to be informative, educational and engaging. Its major themes have been organized into the opposing paths of Waging Peace and Waging War. Within the themes, case studies provide context and insights. International conflicts are represented by the images and official records available in McMaster University Library’s archives. We invite you to explore Peace and War in the 20th Century.

World War, 1939-1945, German Concentration Camps and Prisons Collection

lettercard, From: Madame Bernu, Auguste (his wife) To: Bernu, Auguste - [field_prison_camp-formatted] Oct. 24 1942
[field_source-formatted], From: Placzek, Alfons To: Placzek, Frau Hedwig in Rybuck (?) - Floßenürg 14 February 1943
lettercard, From: Prunis, Pierre  To: Madame Mme Prunis, Marcelle  - [field_prison_camp-formatted] Jan. 05 1941
postcard, From: Megoeuil, M To: Madame Megoeuil, M.H. - [field_prison_camp-formatted] Jun. 08 1942

World War, 1939-1945, German Concentration Camps and Prisons Collection. The collection has correspondences available from these camps: Arbeitsdorf, Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald, Dachau, Dondanen, Dora, Fallersleben, Floßenürg, Groß-Rosen, Gusen, Herzogenbusch, Janowska, Jungfernhof, Kaiserwalk, Kauen, Klooga, Kurtenhof, Lemberg, Lublin, Majdanek, Mauthausen, Mittelbau, Natzweiler, Neuengamme, Niederhagen, Plaszow, Ravenbrück, Riga, Sachsenhausen, Salapils, Sangerhausen, Struthof, Stuttof, Torgau, Vaivara, Vught, Warschau, and Wewelsberg.

Digital Russell

Was justice done? : the Rosenberg-Sobell case
Works of John Locke : in nine volumes.
Report on the Contagious Diseases Act to the civil population [and pamphlets by various authors / compiled by John Russell Amberley]
These eventful years : the twentieth century in the making, as told by many of its makers; being the dramatic story of all that has happened throughout the world during the most momentous period in all history

McMaster University is home to the scholarly study of Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), British philosopher, logician, essayist, and renowned peace advocate. The Bertrand Russell Archives came to McMaster Library in 1968, where they are in the Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections. Russell's library is part of the Russell Archives, along with his correspondence, manuscripts, tapes, films, photographs, medals and permanently displayed writing desk.