The Old Collection is a collection holding various early Grand Rapids documents, ephemera, correspondence, journals, records, accounts, indentures deeds, etc. The items held in this collection are separated into several separate series by their Old Collection name (subject, organization, person, donor, etc.). This collection is a combination of materials collected before the Ryerson Library was built and in the 1920s. There are some materials collected after that. A large portion of the collection pertains to materials from the late nineteenth century through the early 20th century (late 1800s to early 1900s). There are multiple collections within “The Old Collection,” and the subject names (old collection names) are listed within the series.