Collection consists of photographs, ca. 1867-ca. 1939, depicting individuals and groups of individuals, including public servants, Governors Generals, King George VI and Queen Mary, cadets, Canon G.S. Anderson, Rector of St. Matthews Anglican Church; places, predominantly in Ottawa, though also including some other parts of Ontario, and of Prince Rupert, British Columbia; and subjects, including saw mills, transportation (rail, steam ship, horse), industry (mines, mills, commercial fishing).
Collection also contains philatelic records and records related to Canadian postal history. One engraving, n.d., of Hon. George Brown, signed C. Schlecht in the plate, engraved by J.N. Allan, New York, New York. One lithograph, ca. 1902-1910, depicts King Edward VII, published by the Toronto Lithographing Co. Ltd. One letter, dated 17 Jan. 1917, to A.C.W. Jackson (the first black letter carrier in Toronto) from Toronto Postmaster W.D. Rogers, informing him of his 35 years of service and his exemption from paying into the Civil Service Fund; and the envelope of this letter. A Canada 6 cents airmail surcharged airmail stamp first day cover, postmarked Toronto, February 22, 1932; a Newfoundland 35 cents stamp overprinted AirMail to Halifax, N.S., 1921 on a cover from the General Post Office, St. John's to Halifax, dated November 23, 1921, with Halifax backstamp. A pane of six Greenpeace adhesive stickers issued May 1989, showing whale's tail, porpoise and ocean vessal. A censored Armed Forces air letter, postmarked Dec 22/44, that is personal correspondence from Lt. P.V. Knibbs, 14th Canadian Armed Regiment, Canadian Army Overseas (Italy) to Mrs. P.V. Knibbs, Toronto, Ontario.
Collection also contains records related to organized philately in Canada. Four commemorative envelopes issued by the Oakville Stamp Club on the occasion of the OAKPEX '83 philatelic exhibition, with envelope cachets including depiction of Oakville's first post office as seen in 1835; a programme of OAKPEX 83 and the 55th Annual Meeting of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada. American Wildlife Postage Stamps first day of issue dedication booklets, issued by the United States Postal Service during the CAPEX '87 philatelic exhibition, held in Toronto, Ontario, in June 1987. Official Canada Post Corporation invitation to attend the introduction ceremonies for the Air Canada 1937-1987, 50th Anniversary, 36 cents commemorative postage stamp; official Canada Post Corporation first day of issue postal cover for this issue. Three sets, of two cards each, of commercial advertising/promotional cards prepared for, and distributed at, CAPEX '87, held in Toronto, 13-21 June 1987, by the security printers: the Canadian Bank Note Company Limited, British American Bank Note Company Inc., Ashton-Potter Limited. Two cacheted "Day of Issue" covers commemorating CAPEX '87, each with one example of the souvenir sheet of four stamps depicting various Canadian post offices, issued 12 June 1987 to commemorate CAPEX '87 and "The Centennial of Organized Philately in Canada 1887-1987," the covers autographed by several Canada Post Corporation and CAPEX '87 officials, prominent philatelists and persons responsible for the design and/or production of the issues; a copy of the Canadian Stamp News issue of 19-21 June 1987 (the CAPEX '87 Show issue no. 3).
Brennan, James W., 1940- : Jim Brennan was born, raised and educated in Toronto. For some ten years, he worked in the commercial printing field, before entering the University of Toronto, where he graduated in 1974. He then joined the National Postal Museum in Ottawa as a research officer, ultimately becoming the Museum's head curator. Following the closing of the Museum in 1988 and the transfer of the philatelic collections to the National Archives, he took on the position of archivist in the newly created Canadian Postal Archives of the National Archives of Canada. Subsequently, he moved to the VSA Division's Art Acquisition and Research Section (later the Photograph's, Philately and Documentary Art Section). Jim is married with two grown children. He is a member of the following organizations: Association of Canadian Archivists; Archives Association of Ontario; Canadian Museums Association; Ontario Museum Association; Arts and Letters Club of Toronto; British North America Philatelic Society; Postal History Society of Canada and the American Philatelic Congress.
