The contents of the collection are as follows:
- (i) Numbers 1-98, miscellaneous letters, including several from various authors and others to the printers, John Nichols (1745-1826), his son John Bowyer Nichols (1779-1863), and grandson John Gough Nichols (1806-1873); no. 46 is from Thomas Frognall Dibdin; many of the letters appear to have been removed from albums;
- (ii) Numbers 99-138 include letters from Henry Bradshaw (1831-1886), librarian and scholar (nos 101-107), and Thomas J. Wise (1859-1937), bibliographer, book collector and forger (nos 118-135);
- (iii) Numbers 140-3 are from John Ruskin (1819-1900), art and social critic;
- (iv) Numbers 144-5 are to William Blathwayt (?1649-1717), Secretary-at-War, 1690, 1691/2.