The series includes personal and professional correspondence between various Dawson and Harrington family members, between 1861 and 2001; family history, documents and genealogical notes, essays, newspaper clippings, maps, mementos, and obituaries of family members; pamphlets and other promotional material for Redpath Museum, 1933-1961; conference material for the Phoenix Festival in 1971 and the Phoenix Natural Science Association; photocopies of receipts, deeds of gift, notes, and correspondence related to the donation of archival materials to McGill University, given by the Dawson family, between 1908 and 1963.