Philosophers represented include, outstandingly, David Hume, in the Royal Society of Edinburgh's collection of his correspondence deposited at the National Library of Scotland (supplemented by our purchases of other Hume papers).
We also hold the personal and family papers of the notable 19th-century philosopher Alexander Campbell Fraser.
Holdings of 18th- and 19th-century artists include letters and papers of Alan Ramsay the Younger, Sir Henry Raeburn, Sir David Wilkie and, especially, David Roberts.
Modern collections include papers of:
- Sculptors Pittendrigh MacGillivray, Pilkington Jackson and Sir Eduardo Paolozzi
- Painters Sir William Mactaggart, Sir William O Hutchison and William Johnstone
- Art administrator T J Honeyman.
Collections of architectural drawings important for the buildings record of Scotland include those of the late 18th century antiquary, General George Henry Hutton, and the 20th century architectural historian, Thomas Ross, in addition to a large general miscallany of architectural and topographical drawings.