One handbill advertising the publication of James Redpath's "The Public Life of Capt John Brown." Redpath and Brown were contemporaries and abolitionists and Redpath wrote this work the year after Brown's execution.

Collection consists of 169 19th century American photographs. Included are 115 carte-de-visites, 40 cabinet portraits, 2 albums, 11 miscellaneous photographs and 1 envelope of miscellaneous business and greeting cards.

Most are albumen type photographs depicting various people including infants, children, and adults. The photographs come from various studios across the United States though the majority come from studios in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Illinois. The photographs, since rehoused, were originally housed in two albums decorated with an intricate relief on the cover and a metal clasp lock.

One scrapbook kept by an unknown theatre goer. The book is specially made for theatre performances and features in index of the plays, and a two page spread devoted to each play. The left hand side of the page allows for written comments on the title, date and location of the play as well as impressions, and criticisms of the actors and performance. The right hand side of the page is intended to be used to paste in the playbill. In many entries newspaper clippings about the performance are also present. All of the productions were held at the Castle Square Theatre in Boston by the Boston Stage Society in 1904 and 1905. There are records for 80 plays. Some of the playbills also include advertisements.