J. J. Talman Regional Collection

About the J.J. Talman Regional Collection

The J.J. Talman Regional Collection within Western Archives houses the library's extensive holdings of archival fonds and collections including local (municipal) public records, private papers, and related secondary source (published) materials pertaining to London, Middlesex County and surrounding counties in the southwestern Ontario region (in particular the counties of Huron, Elgin, Oxford and Lambton). Materials relating to the University's history as well as non-circulating copies of theses related to Ontario are also deposited in this collection.

Talman Regional Collection holdings provide source material for a wide variety of advanced studies on many aspects of the area's historical, economic and social development. They comprise such public/municipal records as minutes of councils, bylaws, assessment rolls, vital statistics, court records, wills etc. A small sampling of fonds include:

1. The Dewdney Art Therapy fonds
2. London Free Press Collection of Photographic Negatives
3. Harris Family fonds
4. Ontario Fire Insurance Plans
5. Middlesex County Surrogate Court and Criminal Court records
6. London Chamber of Commerce fonds
7. London and Area Council of Women fonds
8. Murphy Moore fonds of Architectural Records
9. James Reaney fonds
10. Fred Landon fonds

Collections include:

Black History Collection

Canadian Church History Collection

London and Southwestern Ontario Photographic Collection

London Free Press Photographs

Ontario Postcard Collection

Merle Tingley Cartoon Collection

The Shared Catalogue provides access to holdings many of which possess finding aids. Most printed books in the Collection are listed by author, title and subject in the Shared Catalogue which is the primary means of access to these items. All location codes beginning with the letters ARCC Reference No Loan or ARCC Reading Room No Loan refer to Talman Regional Collection holdings within the Western Archives.