Fonds consists of correspondence, subject files, speeches, memoranda, briefing material, invitations, tour files, staff files, constituency documentation, leadership and election campaigns material, scheduling documentation and scrapbooks, documenting the Rt. Hon. Joe Clark's early years as Member of Parliament (1972-1976), his first period as Leader of the Opposition (1976-1979), his time as Prime Minister (1979-1980), his second period as Leader of the Opposition (1980-1983), his years as Secretary of State for External Affairs (1984-1991) and as President of the Privy Council and Minister responsible for Constitutional Affairs (1991-1993). Subject files, events files and correspondence of Clark's wife, Maureen McTeer, are also included.
In addition, fonds includes sound and moving image recordings documenting significant events and portfolios in the political career of the Joe Clark. Specifically, the recordings deal with the periods that Clark served in the government of Brian Mulroney as Secretary of State for External Affairs (1984-1991, predominantly 1989-1991); Minister of Constitutional Affairs (1991-1993); as well as miscellaneous documents (1976-1993). Included are speeches, scrums, interviews, meetings and news conferences touching on all major political issues of the day including Meech Lake, the Charlottetown Accord, Canada-US relations, foreign aid, the break-up of the Soviet Union, human rights, Quebec separatism, Free Trade, and mid-east peace initiatives. Also included are interviews with Maureen McTeer (1981-1983)., In addition, fonds includes photographs related to the political career of the Right Honorable Joseph Clark, Prime Minister of Canada (1979). Leader of the Official Opposition 1976-1983, and Minister in the Progressive Conservative Government 1984-1993., Series R 8-5 consists of photographs transferred from MSS Division; subjects include: Joe Clark - Vimy Award Presentation, Ottawa, Ontario, 5 october 1991; visit of former soviet prisoner, Mr. Natan Shcharansky, September 16, 1987; b&w contact sheets containing photographs of Mr. Clark and other Members of Parliament taken at a social function on Parliament Hill; headshot portraits of Members of Parliament taken between 1976-1978 include: Lincoln M. Alexander, A.D. Alkenbrack, Harvie André, Walter Baker, G.W. Baldwin, Jim Balfour, Peter C. Bawden, Perrin Beatty, Bob Brisco, Bert Cadieu, Joe Clark, Bill Clarke, Robert C. Coates, Tom Cossitt, Llyod Crouse, Stan Darling, Paul Dick, W.G. Dinsdale, J.R. Ellis, Peter Elzinga, Jake Epp, J.M. Forrestall, John A. Fraser, Benno Friesen, James Gillies, Heward Grafftey, Bruce Halliday, Alvin Hamilton, Frank Hamilton, Bert Hargrave, George Hees, J.R. Holmes, J.Robert Howie, Ron Huntington, Ken Hurlburt, Bill Jarvis, Otto Jelinek, Howard Johnston, Bill Kempling, William Knowles, S.J. Korchinski, Marcel Lambert, Roch LaSalle, Allan Lawrence, David MacDonald, Elmer Mackay, Heath Macquarrie, Arnold Malone, Jack Marshall, Peter P. Masniuk, Don Mazankowski, Robert McCleave, James A. McGrath, Dan McKenzie, R.E. McKinley, Gus Mitges, Robert Muir, Donald W. Munro, Jack Murta, Doug Neil, J.P. Nowlan, F. Oberle, Steven E. Paproski, Alex Patterson, Gordon Ritchie, Douglas Roche, B.P. Rynard, Stan Schellenberger, W.C. Scott, William Skoreyko, Cecil Smith, Craig Stewart, Gordon Towers, Claude Wagner, Dean Whiteway, G.H. Whittaker, John Wise, Eldon M. Woolliams and Paul Yewchuk; photograph of Mr. Clark and family; b& w contact sheets of Mr. Clark and family while on a tour of his constituency, August 1981.
