This fonds contains five personal volumes of mid- to late-19th century sheet music belonging to female members of the Adams and Bowlby families of Canada West/Ontario. It has been organized into two series, reflecting the two family lines from which the women came: Series I (Adams family) and Series II (Bowlby family). Each volume bears the name of its owner and contains an assortment of vocal or instrumental music designed for domestic use. For the middle-classes of 19th century North America it was common practice to conclude a young woman’s years of musical training by compiling her sheet music into a personalized bound volume. Each volume therefore reflects the owner/performer’s tastes, training, and proficiency, which songs, composers, and social dance styles were popular during the years of her training, and what music was available to her either through purchase or as a gift. The resulting volumes were used in subsequent years for home or community performance among family, friends, and neighbours, as well as for personal entertainment. As such, the Adams/Bowlby volumes offer snapshots of Victorian musical culture in their owners’ small communities during southern Ontario’s late-colonial/early-Confederation period. They also provide a glimpse into one means (musical accomplishment) by which young middle-class women could improve their chances of economic security: either by demonstrating a degree of gentility that resulted in a desirable marriage or by acquiring skills that would allow them to find employment as music teachers. The finding aid contains detailed lists of the content of each volume.

This fonds consists primarily of historic postcards depicting landscapes, buildings, attractions, infrastructure, and vehicles in the region of Southwestern Ontario, with a particular focus on Windsor and Essex County. Many of the postcards are undated, but formats include hand-tinted Early Twentieth Century (ca. 1900-1914) and White Border (ca.1914-1932) styles, as well as Linen (ca.1933-early 1950s), Standard/Chrome (ca. mid-1950s-1970s), and Continental/Modern (ca. 1970s - present) styles. Also included are a small number of photographs and ephemera items including arrest warrants, tokens, medallions, patches, maps, brochures, tickets, and advertisements, all relating to local people, businesses, events, or locations.

The years 1900 to 1914 were a so-called Golden Age for postcards in North America, thanks to the popularity of photography and mass production techniques that made them an affordable collectible item. Views of all kinds were produced, including residential neighbourhoods, churches and civic buildings, commercial districts, industrial plants, bridges, and landscapes. From 1900 into the 1930s, many postcards were black-and-white photographs with colour added. In subsequent decades glossy colour photographs became the norm, and a narrower range of views were produced (often depicting popular tourist sites, where they were sold as souvenirs). By the 1970s most North American postcards shifted from the traditional small size (8.5 x 14cm) to the larger European (“Continental”) size (10 x 15.5cm) and continued to feature a small range of local tourist attractions. All of these trends are reflected in the postcards contained in this fonds.