The fonds of the Major-General D. R. Cameron and Sir Charles Tupper families provides an intimate view of Canadian political and military activities from the time of Confederation through the First World War.
Textual material of the Cameron / Tupper family fonds consists of: official, private and family correspondence, ca. 1869-1915, of Sir Charles Tupper; official, private and family correspondence, ca. 1860-1920, of D.R. Camerion documenting his military service in India and in Canada while employed on the North West Boundary Commission and as Commandant of the Royal Military College; and family correspondence of the various members of the Cameron Family, 1880s-1920.
The collection is comprised of a collection of artwork relating to family activities, professional activity (specifically sketches taken during the Boundary Commission work of Donald Roderick Cameron), in a variety of formats. There is a large collection of postcards, documenting travels primarily in Europe, of various family members (most addressed to Lillie T. Cameron). The original artworks were largely executed by Donald Roderick Cameron, although some are by other family members and other noted artists for example the painted photographs of William Notman, painted by G.S. Hayward and A. Walker. The artworks span a period from about ca. 1845 to ca. 1918.
Photographic portion of the Cameron/Tupper families fonds consists of 301 b/w photographs taken between 1861 and 1943. Portraits include Sir Charles and Lady Tupper, Major-General Donald Roderick Cameron, Emma Cameron (née Tupper), Nancie Cameron including portraits as a nurse during World War I, William Tupper "Jock" Cameron, Ada Campbell and Frances Cameron. Also included are two albums of the Tupper's family's visit to Italy, 1905; one album of the Boer War 1899-1901 in South Africa; a series of photographs on Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario, ca. 1885-1890 showing buildings, cadets, officers, dining hall, summer and winter uniforms; one photograph of the funeral of Sir John A. Macdonald, Royal Military College cadets forming guard of honor and firing party followed by "A" Battery, RCA, Kingston, Ontario, 1891; four historical photographs of birch bark canoe building and Indian graves at Lake of the Woods, ca. 1874 taken during the International Boundary Commission; as well as two cdv's of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, 1865. Photographers include such well known names as Henry Henderson, Sheldon & Davis, Kingston; William James Topley, The Notman Studio, Lancefields Studio, E. Spencer, Ottawa, On., William Notman, Taber, The Grip Co., Ellisson & Co., Quebec, Gauvin Gentzel, Steele, Winnipeg, Man., Parish & Co., A.W. Brewster, Halifax, N.S. as well as some photographers from England.
