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This fonds consists of 709 black and white photographs and approximately 20 cm of textual material relating to Norman Robinson's travels in the Northwest Territories, British Columbia and Ireland between 1919-1940. The photographs are mounted in nine journals which contain narrative about Robinson's work in the Northwest Territories as a trapper and guide; his work in British Columbia as a Game Warden and two years spent in Ireland. In addition, there are two original letters that Robinson wrote to his mother while he was guiding a Survey Party in the Northwest Territories in 1924, two notebooks which contain transcribed letters that Robinson wrote to his family in Ireland between 1919-1922 and transcriptions of three narratives written by Norman Robinson.

The records are housed in nine journals that contain the photographs, newspaper clippings and ephemera. Records document Norman Robinson's travels within the Northwest Territories (1919-1924), British Columbia (1927-1930) and Ireland (1938-1940). Journal one covers the period between 1919-1920 and describes a trip that Robinson took with John Hornby from Edmonton to Peace River Crossing. Journal two covers the period between 1920-1921 and describes Robinson's work on the gas boat "Lady Mackworth" and as a purser on the steamer "Mackenzie River" which ran supplies from Fort Smith to Fort McPherson. Journal three covers the period between 1921-1922 where Robinson again acted as a pilot on the "Lady Mackworth" and later that season joined the Lawson Hubbard Company as a trader in Fort Good Hope. Journal four covers the period between 1923-1924, where Robinson went on a six week surveying trip by dog sled from Fort Smith to Fort Resolution and across Great Slave Lake to Fort Rae with Mr. Russell, a Land Surveyor from Ottawa. There is also a short account of a summer survey trip. Overall, the images contained in journals one through five illustrate different types of water transportation such as paddle steamers, canoes and scows; traveling by dog team, the transportation of supplies between Fort Fitzgerald and Fort Smith, trapping activities, fishing, camping, preparation of hides, indigenous clothing, Hudson's Bay Company posts, and the communities of Peace River Crossing, Fort Chipewyan, Fort Smith, Fort Fitzgerald, Hay River, Fort Providence, Fort Resolution, Fort Good Hope, Fort Rae and Tsiigehtchic. Journal six covers the period between 1927-1930 where Robinson established a homestead and timber business near Kamloops, British Columbia, before accepting a position as a Game Warden for the British Columbia Provincial Game Department. Journal seven covers the year 1930 after Robinson was transferred to Quesnel, British Columbia where continued working as a game warden. Journals numbered eight and nine document Robinson's return to his homeland of Ireland where he worked for the Turf Development Board on Clonast Bog between 1938 and 1940. In addition, this accession includes two notebooks containing transcribed letters that Robinson sent to his family in Ireland during the years 1919-1920 when he was travelling in the Northwest Territories. There are maps sketched in the notebooks that outline Robinson's travels. Furthermore, there are two original letters that Robinson sent to his mother while he was driving dogs for a survey party. The first letter dated May 29, 1924 describes travelling with the survey party in April where they were stranded on Hardisty Island for a month during ice-breakup on Great Slave Lake. This letter includes a sketch map of the islands where the party camped during the survey. The second letter dated June 22, 1924 recounts that he will be travelling again with the survey party by schooner to Artillery Lake.