Fonds consists of material relating to the history and operations of the Kitchener-Waterloo Record, from its beginnings in 1878 to 1988. Also consists of historical materials on the history of Waterloo County and the Region of Waterloo including newspaper articles, slides, photographs, and negatives. Includes legal documents, clippings, ephemera, publications, artifacts, office files, photographic materials, and films.

Fonds consists of negatives and proof prints taken by Robert T.G. Nicol under the name of Personal Studio between 1946 and 1996. Studio, home portraits and candid photography of families and weddings, as well as commercial jobs for many local industries and businesses document comprehensively the growth and changes in the way of life in the Waterloo Region in the post-war era. Many nationally important companies employed Nicol, some as their "house photographer": these include B.F. Goodrich, Budd Automotive, Mutual Life Insurance Co., Bell Telephone, Electrohome, Raytheon, IBM, and Greb Shoes. Many types of businesses are represented: storefronts and interiors of banks, clothing, department, music, furniture and grocery stores, dairies, factories, restaurants, hotels and motels, churches, service stations, car dealerships, service industries, construction trades, and more.