The series consists of letters received by Harold Pfeiffer and carbon copies and drafts of letters written by Pfeiffer; included are the originals of some letters Pfeiffer sent to his family, which found their way back into his custody. Correspondents include personal friends, colleagues, clients, collectors, sitters for his sculptures, other artists, museum colleagues, ethnologists, and historians. Also included is correspondence with foundries about the casting of his work and with public and commercial galleries across Canada.
The early correspondence documents the social life of a young anglophone in Québec city in the late 1920s, with dance cards, letters from Marthe St. Laurent (the daughter of Louis St. Laurent), and correspondence on the subject of Toc H Canada, a young men's service club established following World War I. The 1930s correspondence documents the beginning of Pfeiffer's long friendship with Marius Barbeau (the Barbeau correspondence continues until 1963).
The correspondence from the 1940s and 1950s documents Pfeiffer's relationships with other figures in the arts. The 1940 correspondence includes a letter from the Canadian violinist and composer Arthur LeBlanc describing his introduction to Toronto music circles (the Adaskins, Boris Hambourg), thanks to Pfeiffer. The 1941 correspondence includes a description of Pfeiffer's meeting with the Swedish sculptor Carl Milles in Detroit, along with the Canadian artist Cleeve Horne, and a letter from the Quebec sculptor Alfred Laliberté. The 1942 correspondence includes an autograph letter from the famous dancer, Anton Dolin, and from Canadian war artist Anthony Law. There are letters from the Canadian pianist Ross Pratt, 1942-1947, a letter 1945 from Canadian photographer Richard Harrington and two autograph letters from the black American sculptor Richmond Barthé (one about the unveiling of his bust of Booker T. Washington 1946 and the other about his travels in 1955). There is a letter, 1955, from Finnish sculptor Wäinö Aaltonen and letters from Canadian sculptors Dora de Pedery-Hunt 1956, Florence Wyle 1957, and Frances Loring 1938, 1956-1958, and from Inuit artist and photographer Peter Pitseolak 1957.
Correspondence from the 1950s documents Pfeiffer's sculpting projects and commissions and his growing interest in the Canadian Arctic. Included are letters from author Madge Macbeth, historian Donald Creighton and former Prime Minister Arthur Meighen about Pfeiffer's statue of Sir Robert Borden 1953. There is extensive correspondence relating to Pfeiffer's travels among Indians and Inuit, and to his promotion of Indian and Inuit arts and crafts. Among the correspondents are Inuit Pfeiffer met during his travels and work in sanatoriums, including letters 1955-1960 from Symonee (or Simonee) E7-470, George Okpik E8-977, Salumunie E7-1169 and Tikivik E7-412. There is also correspondence with various northern administrators, including Inuit art promoter James Houston 1955.
Other correspondents include: Robert Pilot, Kay Ryan, Jean Palardy n.d.; Colonel William Wood 1932-1938; F.G. Scott 1932-1939; L.A. Taschereau 1932; Ethel McKenzie 1935, 1943; Kenneth Forbes 1938; Frances Adaskin, F.J.C. Wright, Stanley Hawes of the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau 1940; Lawren Harris 1944; Margo Bowlby 1944-1980; Alan Jarvis 1954; Canadian Handicrafts Guild 1955; Walter Rudnicki, Claire Watson, Canadian Society of Graphic Art, Yousuf Karsh 1956; Alf Sherriff of the Jasper Art Salon 1956-1960; R.A.J. Phillips, L.B. Pearson, C.A. Beil, Sigmund Samuel, Lionel Massey 1957; Charlotte Whitton 1959; Frank Rasky 1960; Nova and Fred Taylor 1963-1967; Farley Mowat 1965; Leo Mol 1966-1992; Wilder Penfield, R.W. Finlayson 1967; Anthony Gray 1967-1971; Riveredge Foundation 1967-1978; Charles Gimpel 1968; Robert Ayre 1969, George Swinton 1969; Leo Heaps 1970; Ted Mehler of Pulse Studio Arts, Yellowknife 1971; Catharine Whyte 1973-1975; Spencer Clark, Kenneth Thomson 1980; Robert Bateman 1980-1986; and Maureen McTeer 1986-1988.
There are a few photographs scattered among the correspondence. Included is a b&w snapshot of Pfeiffer, a col. snapshot of Pierre Trudeau, a b&w Yousuf Karsh photograph of a Madonna on a greeting card, all in the undated files. There are also snapshots sent to Pfeiffer by correspondents abroad (9 b&w) in 1938 and 1940; a b&w photo of a Beethoven portrait in the 1944 files; 3 b&w photos of small sculptures in the 1960 correspondence; 3 b&w photos of a park site relating to the International Sculpture Symposium in 1966; 2 b&w photos of Indian beadwork 1970; 2 col. portraits of Leo Mol 1985; 2 b&w portraits of the captain of the "Stefan Batory" 1985; 2 col. and 1 b&w portrait of Pfeiffer 1988; and 1 col. photo of a model for Pfeiffer's proposed statue of Queen Elizabeth 1990.
The series is arranged chronologically. The files designated "General" are files that were received at the National Archives without titles or are new files created at the Archives for correspondence found loose among the papers. Otherwise, where possible, Pfeiffer's own file titles have been kept, although his designation "Personal" does not always accurately reflect the contents of the files.
Note that additional correspondence from Pfeiffer's sitters can be found in the Sculpture and Other Art Projects Series.