The Sir Samuel Steele Collection

The Sir Samuel Steele Collection is a family archive composed of the papers of Sam Steele, his wife Marie, their children Gertrude, Flora, and Harwood, and family friend Roger Pocock. Once housed at Bruce Peel Special Collections (2010-2024), where it was the subject of a major exhibition and numerous publications, the Steele collection is now housed at University of Alberta Archives. This extensive collection covers a period from 1870-1978 and treats a wide range of topics including Canadian police history, the Klondike Gold Rush, the Boer War of 1899–1902, Canada’s role in WWI, the Legion of Frontiersmen, as well as family and social history. This site offers researchers several tools with which to explore the collection including a digital finding aid for print materials and the chance to view a portion of the collection digitally.

"My Dear Sweet Maye...My Own Darling Sam.." from Library Webmaster on Vimeo.

• The Samuel Steele Collection - Home
• About the Collection
• Scholarly & Educational Materials
• Explore the Collection

The University of Alberta Library is committed to collecting and preserving print materials relating to Canadian history and life, especially relating to the prairie provinces. Visit the Bruce Peel Special Collections website for information on using print materials in the Steele Collection and in other related collections. The University of Alberta Library is equally committed to furthering knowledge through digitization, digital preservation, and digital repositories. We are pleased to offer digital access to a portion of the Steele Collection here. Visit our Digital Initiatives site for more information.

The generous support of our donors helps the University of Alberta Library acquire exceptional collections and resources for our students and faculty, as well as for the wider communities we serve. We would like to thank the following donors and partners for their generous support and involvement in the repatriation of the Sir Samuel Steele Collection. We also wish to thank Mr Cameron Treleaven of Aquila Books in Calgary, Alberta for his invaluable assistance.