Library Overview

Since 1963, Archives & Special Collections has been the fortunate recipient of unique materials from hundreds of donors. Literary papers from such Canadian poets as Dorothy Livesay and Margaret Avison, the mysterious German writer F. P. Grove/F. P. Greve, and journalists including John W. Dafoe and E. Cora Hind provide a glimpse into the writer's mind. Presses—e.g., Thistledown Press, Turnstone Press, NeWest Press—and literary journals—e.g., Prairie Fire, Mosaic—provide the publishers' view.

Records of pioneer farm families, cooperatives such as Keystone Agricultural Producers, commercial organizations such as the United Grain Growers and Ogilvie Flour Mills, commercial publications such as the United Grain Grower and Nor'West Farmer, and government publications compose the Archives of the Agricultural Experience.

The archives began its collection of materials relating to polar exploration and the search for the Northwest Passage with books from the library of explorer Dr. Vilhjalmur Stefansson. Contemporary accounts of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition as well as Dr. Andrew Taylor's more modern records complement first editions of John Palliser, Alexander Mackenzie, Henry Youle Hind, James Cook, George Heriot, and scores of other explorers, pioneers, and settlers. Other major holdings of rare books pertain to Canadian Prairie literature, early native language syllabics, church history and philosophy, Bibles, English literature (including extensive Rudyard Kipling and Ernest Hemingway collections), children's literature of the early 20th century, and Western Canadian agriculture. The Dysart Memorial Collection on printing and publishing includes late medieval manuscripts, incunabula and early printed books from such well known printers as Aldus Manutius, Johannes Bämler, and Anton Koberger.

The files of the Winnipeg Tribune, Archives of the Ukrainian Canadian Experience, University Archives, papers relating to animators and filmmakers Richard Condie, Charlie Thorsen, and Guy Maddin and the architectural photographs of Henry Kalen are a few of the many interesting collections located at the archives.

University of Manitoba
Archives & Special Collections
330 Elizabeth Dafoe Library
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3T 2N2
Canada
http://www.umanitoba.ca/libraries/archives/
(204) 474-6350 (t)
(204) 474-7913 (f)