Fonds consists of correspondence, 1916-1918, 1941-1948; notes and notebooks consisting of research notes relating to specific Jefferys' publications, n.d.; and general research notes, n.d.; manuscripts of short essays by Jefferys, n.d., and essays, short stories and manuscripts by other authors, n.d.; research files consisting of Jefferys' own research files, 1896-1950, and unorganized research material, 1896-1950; publications including pamphlets, magazines and historical publications, 1897-1949; and Imperial Oil files, compiled by Imperial Oil and containing illustrations, bibliographies and miscellaneous material, n.d. Fonds contains research photographs for Jefferys' art works, unidentified portraits, portraits of Jefferys, and views of Canada, n.d., 1880-1945. Fonds contains graphic art consisting of five watercolour paintings, 1900-1933. Fonds also includes a drawing known as "The Rail Splitter", [1958]; and a drawing by Jefferys entitled,"Sketches Made This Week In The Post Office", containing three inset sketches, depicting four groups of people carrying out various activities in a post office, n.d. Fonds includes two postal covers sent to Jefferys, York Mills, Ont., by correspondents in Hamilton, Ontario, during 1946.
Jefferys, Charles William, 1869-1951 : Born in Rochester, England, C.W. Jefferys settled with his family in Toronto, 1880-1881. He attended the Winchester and Lord Dufferin School and apprenticed with the Toronto Lithography Company from 1885-1890. Jefferys joined the Toronto Art Students' League in 1888 and studied watercolour painting under Charles MacDonald Manly. From 1889-1982, Jefferys worked with the Toronto Globe, sketching daily news events. He worked for the New York Herald, 1893-1901. Jefferys returned to Toronto in 1899 and began a long career as a magazine and book illustrator, producing among other works the illustrations for The Chronicles of America, Sam Slick in Pictures, Episodes in Canada's Story, and Canada's Past in Pictures, as well as the texts for the two latter. This career culminated in his work, 1940-1950, on the three volume Picture Gallery of Canadian History. From 1912-1939, Jefferys taught painting and drawing in the Department of Architecture at the University of Toronto. During W.W.I, he was employed by the service for Canadian War Records. See: Canadian Encylopedia, 1985, p. 915: Encyclopedia Canadiana, vol. 5, p. 346.
