The Canadian War Museum’s Military History Research Centre houses, in one convenient location, the George Metcalf Archival Collection and the Hartland Molson Library. These extensive national collections of primary and secondary research material document Canada’s military history from the colonial period to the present day.
Hartland Molson Library
The Hartland Molson Library collection has approximately 60,000 volumes, including regimental histories, published personal memoirs, military technical and field manuals, and 5,000 rare books, as well as periodicals and newspapers, wartime pamphlets, and multimedia material. The public has access to the library collection and can browse and consult materials on site.
Books in the Rare Book Vault can be retrieved by a staff member upon request. It is recommended that visitors arrive with the list of resources they wish to consult, or send a list ahead of time, so that resources can be pulled and prepared for their visit. Staff can assist in identifying materials upon request.
George Metcalf Archival Collection
The George Metcalf Archival Collection contains unique archival documents and photographic materials and is especially rich in content related to the First and Second World Wars.
The archival collection, consisting of approximately 765 metres of documentation, includes original letters, diaries, scrapbooks, logbooks, maps, 3-D maps, blueprints, postcards, sheet music, records, oral history tapes, and other printed material.
The photographic portion of the collection holds approximately 90,000 items, including original photographic prints in black and white and in colour, negatives, glass slides, daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, stereoscopic slides, and hand-tinted portraits, as well as film reels and videos.
Interlibrary loans
Although the Hartland Molson Library collection is non-circulating, books may be available through interlibrary loan. Please contact your local public, university, or departmental library to arrange for an interlibrary loan. Interlibrary loans are four weeks in length and can be renewed once.
Reference material and periodicals are not available for loan. Regimental histories, pamphlets, and military-technical manuals are available for loan only if duplicate copies are held. Some materials may be loaned to other libraries on a “for use in borrowing library only” basis.
Material from the George Metcalf Archival Collection is not available for interlibrary loan.
Reproductions and licensing
Rights and permissions
Many of the materials in our collections can be freely reproduced for personal and research use. You can also license our content for other purposes and even purchase high-quality art prints.
