LibGuides: English Literature: Print Archives

Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections

The Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections holds a treasure trove of primary sources, rare books and special collections of interest to literary scholars. Open to students and faculty alike, the archivists encourage you to come in and explore. The list below includes a selection of materials held in the archive, but there is much more to discover in person. Before you visit, you may wish to explore the Archival Research Tutorial and/or the Guide to Finding Primary Sources.

Canadian Literary Papers
From its inception, York University Archives and Special Collections has made Canadiana one of the chief pillars of its collections policy. Canadian Studies, particularly the post-confederation period, is the primary focus of its archival acquisitions in addition to our special collections which consist of published Canadiana including the Canadian Pamphlet Collection. This in part reflects York University’s reputation for strong Canadian Studies programs in a variety of fields in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Fine Arts. Papers held in this collection include the fonds of Margaret Laurence, bill bissett, Rohinton Mistry, Susan Swan and Adele Wiseman.
Women's Literature
Women’s poetry, prose and (auto)biographical writing; including published and unpublished manuscripts, drafts and reviews. Included are the archival collections of men whose work pertains to women’s literature.
Victorian Correspondence
Letters written by Victorian authors, poets, artists, activists, and other individuals to support research and teaching by faculty associated with the Victorian Studies Network at York.
Creative Writing
Creative Writing encompasses fiction, poetry, drama, and children’s literature. In addition to the author, the editor, publisher, teacher, and critic are included in this category. Writers included in our collection are Priscilla Uppal, Margaret Avison, Rick Salutin, Jason Sherman and Mavor Moore, amongst others.
Life Writing
Material written by women about their lives and experiences as women; including autobiographies, journals, diaries and correspondence. Correspondence included here is predominantly personal correspondence. Other correspondence (business, academic, etc.) may supplement these writings by providing context, however, these secondary forms of correspondence are not included in this classification without the presence of primary forms of life writing as listed above.
Archives and Special Collections Fond Register
A list of fonds filed alphabetically by the name of the creator of the fonds. Each fonds is assigned a unique reference number which users should cite if they wish to examine the inventory prepared for the fonds. Paper copies of our finding aids are available in the archives reading room.

Special Collections

Our general holdings include rare, scarce and atypical published items related to the university's research strengths in interdisciplinary research, the fine arts, Canadian literature, communications and culture, and social reform. Items are catalogued using numeric call numbers and Library of Congress call numbers. New acquisitions are often described in detail online. A list of collections (materials actively assembled with intent by a person, organization or repository from a variety of sources) can be found in the Archives Tutorial.

Wyndham Lewis Collection
The Wyndham Lewis Collection was acquired from Toronto antiquarian bookdealer Hugh Anson-Cartwright in 2010. A comprehensive collection of first editions and contemporary accounts of the Vorticist artist and Modernist author, this collection also includes archival material.
Graphic Novels Collection
The Graphic Novels Collection consists of examples of important graphic novels of the twentieth century in North America and Europe.
BKR Collection
The Kellog collection consists of reprints, fan magazines and reproductions of comic strips and illustrators of the early to mid-twentieth century.
Ruth Dworin Collection
This collection acquired from women's music festival producer Ruth Dworin consists of a strong collection of lesbian pulp novels from the mid-twentieth century as well as works of non-fiction, popularized science and psychology works and memoirs related to lesbianism.
Granary Press Artists' Books Collection
Collection of artist's publications and artist's books produced by the Granary Press, including works by poet Jen Bervin, Timothy Ely, and a first edition of Tom Phillips' The Humument.
Didi Khayatt Collection
This collection acquired by way of feminist scholar and poet Kate Eichorn, Didi Khayatt's donation includes a strong collection of lesbian fiction from the later half of the twentieth century as well as feminist zines (mostly West Coast) from the 1990s.
Sheila Thibadeau Lambrinos Collection
The Lambrinos Collection, which houses over 650 children’s textbooks, teacher’s manuals and novels (published between 1843 to 1992), is a rich source of insight into a distinctly Canadian, colonial and post-colonial, understanding of the world.
Artists' Books
YUL Artists' Books collection includes books created by an artist or artist collective. Exceeding 2,000 titles, the collection includes unique and limited editions and books produced in multiple editions. Works that are published by independent and mainstream presses and works that are self-published are collected. Also represented in the collection are works that reflect collaborations between illustrators, designers, typographers, book binders, printers, visual artists, poets and writers. The collection is international in scope with an emphasis on the 1960s to present and a focus on Canadian artists. Publishers that are represented in the collection include: Granary Books, Coracle Press, Onestar Press and Ugly Ducking Presse. The artists' books collection is housed in the Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections.

Online Exhibits

Ruth Dworin Exhibit
A collection that contains many classic, forgotten and often-censored works of lesbian fiction from the early to late 20th century.
Herman Voaden
Herman Voaden was English-Canada's leading experimental theatre director and playwright during the 1930's and a prominent educator and cultural nationalist. This virtual exhibit has been established to introduce Voaden's life and work.
Sheila Thibadeau Lambrinos Collection
Literature for children, most often written to educate and indoctrinate, as well as entertain, has longed served as a useful means to examine the ideological concerns of an age. The Lambrinos Collection, which houses over 650 children’s textbooks, teacher’s manuals and novels (published between 1843 to 1992), is a rich source of insight into a distinctly Canadian, colonial and post-colonial, understanding of the world.

Other Archives

Archives Canada
This is the main portal for searching and accessing archival holdings held in institutions in Canada. Includes links to provincial and territorial databases, online exhibits and digital holdings.
Archives in Ontario
Archives in Toronto
Archives at other local universities and religious organizations.
International Archives
A list of archives around the world.