Archives & Special Collections is a distinctive component of Leddy Library, mandated to preserve significant elements of the historical record that connect the University of Windsor, the Windsor-Essex County community, and the region of Southwestern Ontario to the people, organizations, events, and decisions that have shaped who we are and how we live today.
The history and culture of Southwestern Ontario – bounded on three sides by Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, and Lake Erie – are the main focus of our Archives, which contain original documents, images, and audio-visual records.
Many of the rare and hard-to-find published works (such as maps, pamphlets, and books) in our Special Collections are also related to the history, culture, and ecology of Southwestern Ontario.
Although many of these items were created for purposes other than scientific research, they may contain valuable data from the past. For instance, the 19th-century travel narratives in our collection often contain a wealth of anecdotal data about climate, flora, fauna, marine life, landscapes and seascapes, ports, cities, people, and customs.
Some highlights of this collection include:
For those interested in the social and cultural history of the Great Lakes region, our Archives & Special Collections holdings are particularly strong in the following thematic areas:
Our Special Collections holdings are listed in the Leddy Library’s online catalogue; our complete archival holdings are not currently searchable by the public online.
Interested researchers are encouraged to visit the Archives & Special Collections or contact us:
The history and culture of Southwestern Ontario – bounded on three sides by Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, and Lake Erie – are the main focus of our Archives, which contain original documents, images, and audio-visual records.Many of the rare and hard-to-find published works (such as maps, pamphlets, and books) in our Special Collections are also related to the history, culture, and ecology of Southwestern Ontario.
Although many of these items were created for purposes other than scientific research, they may contain valuable data from the past. For instance, the 19th-century travel narratives in our collection often contain a wealth of anecdotal data about climate, flora, fauna, marine life, landscapes and seascapes, ports, cities, people, and customs.
Some highlights of this collection include:
- Narrative Journal of Travels through the Northwestern regions of the United States; extending from Detroit through the Great Chain of American Lakes... (1821)
- Trip through the Lakes of North America: embracing a full description of the St. Lawrence River... (1857)
- Voyage de Mm. Dollier et Galinee (1875)
- Tour of the American Lakes, and among the Indians of the Northwestern Territory, in 1830 (1883)
- Directory of the Marine Interests of the Great Lakes (1884)
- The Great Lakes, the vessels that plough them: Their owners, their sailors, and their cargoes; together with a brief history of our inland seas (1909)
- The Story of Lac Ste. Claire (1939)
- Fishes of the Great Lakes Region (1949)
- Sweetwater Seas: The Legacy of the Great Lakes (1983)
- The Mapping of the Great Lakes in the Seventeenth Century (1989)
For those interested in the social and cultural history of the Great Lakes region, our Archives & Special Collections holdings are particularly strong in the following thematic areas:
- Land records, European settlement, and agricultural history
- Labour and automotive history
- Anti-slavery, slavery, and Underground Railroad history
- Sport history
- Military history
Our Special Collections holdings are listed in the Leddy Library’s online catalogue; our complete archival holdings are not currently searchable by the public online.
Interested researchers are encouraged to visit the Archives & Special Collections or contact us:
- archive@uwindsor.ca
- 519-253-3000 ext. 3851
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