The collection comprises a variety of documents from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries that were donated by various people. The items in this collection are rare and consist of signed documents, correspondence, autograph manuscripts, photographs, and etchings. This collection includes the autographs of a number of important historical personalities, including former United States presidents, leading artists and writers, and scientists and public figures. Of particular importance are numerous letters from Justice Brandeis, Hubert Humphrey, Henry James, Rockwell Kent, and Thomas Mann. The autograph manuscripts include writings by poet Louise Imogen Guiney, physicist Isaac Newton, and artist Stefan Zweig. In addition, there are letters and documents by Simon Bolivar, Albert Einstein, Leo Tolstoi, and Leon Trotsky, among others. The items are organized in alphabetical order by last name, then chronologically for each individual.
