The fonds consists of records created and collected by Harry B. Hawthorn in a number of different capacities: as researcher, professor, Dean of Anthropology and Director of the Museum of Anthropology. Textual records in the fonds include correspondence, transcripts, research notes and clippings from publications. Much of the graphic materials relate to Harry Hawthorn’s interactions with Indigenous communities as an anthropologist, a professor, and as the Director of MOA. Other images relate to his personal life, documenting his youth in New Zealand, his life as a father and anthropologist, and his later established professional roles.

File mainly contains historical images of Haida and Tlingit villages and totem poles located on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia and Alaska. There are also images of Haida and Tlingit peoples dressed in regalia. Other photos include images of Haida and Tlingit artifacts, such as bentwood boxes and carvings, housed in various museums around the world. There are also images of a modern day ceremony in front of some totem poles and long houses. The textual records include photocopies of images of totem poles and Haida and Tlingit villages.

Item is an image of several artworks. According to annotations, photograph was taken in Alert Bay's graveyard.

The fonds consists of photographs, transparencies, negatives, prints, slides, textual records and objects. Contents of the fonds primarily reflect First Nations cultures in British Columbia between 1960 and 1980, including the Haida, Coast Salish (formerly Burrard Reserve), Kwakiutl (Kwakwaka'wakw), Gitsegukla and Ans'pa yaxw (Kispiox) nations. Notable First Nations personalities and artists documented include Chief Dan George, Gerry Marks, Henry Hunt and Norman Tait. Contents also include: B.C. landscapes such as Gwayasdums (Gilford Island), Klemtu, Mamalilikulla and Uchucklesaht; First Nations children; First Nations exhibits, totem poles and installations at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and for the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, Japan. The original accession was arranged in series according to Carter's published works which focus on specific localities, communities, individuals and subject matter, with additional series related to Carter's photojournalistic work and personal recordkeeping added in 2019 when an accrual was made to the fonds.

Series consists of images found in or related to Carter's 1969 published work. Focus is on photographic representations of First Nations communities and individuals throughout Haida Gwaii. Geographic locations include Anthony Island (Ninstins), Masset, Skedans, Skidegate, Tanu and Yan. Series also contains images related to the 1969 Masset pole raising ceremony in honor of Robert Davidson, Jr. Files are generally arranged chronologically according to subject matter and/or locality. Except where noted with square brackets, the titles for files and items in this series were taken from annotations on the original material.