The collection consists of correspondence, manuscripts by Messner and others, memoirs by Messner, photographs and printed materials. Manuscripts by Messner include a typescript (275 p.) entitled "Nekotorye prichiny porazhenii︠a︡ Germanii v voĭnu 1939-1945 g.g." Messner's memoirs (3293 p. and 350 p.) cover the years 1914-1973. Included among them are clippings, photographs, mimeographed materials and pamphlets. The majority of his memoirs concern World War I and the Civil War. Photographs are mostly copies. Printed materials consist mostly of clippings of articles by Messner in South American monarchist periodicals.

Correspondence, manuscripts, documents, photographs, subject files, printed materials, and memorabilia of historian George Vernadsky (Georgii Vladimirovich Vernadskii; 1887-1973). Most of the collection consists of his personal and professional papers, circa 1918-1973. Sizable groups of materials also concern members of his family, especially his wife Nina (1884-1971); his father, scientist Vladimir I. Vernadskii (1863-1945); his mother Nataliia E. Vernadskaia (1860-1943); and his sister Nina V. Toll' (1898-circa 1976).

The papers comprise correspondence, manuscripts, memoirs, diaries, personal documents, photographs, printed materials, periodicals, and clippings relating to the life and professional activities of Nataliia Logunova, a Russian émigré journalist and writer.

Collection of Russian and Eastern European emigre newspapers and periodicals published in Europe, North America, South America and Australia in the 20th century, also includes a number of newspapers published in Russia and the Soviet Union.

The papers include correspondence, manuscripts, documents, printed materials, and photographs. Much of the correspondence concerns "Reka Vremen." Cataloged correspondents are Georgiĭ Adamovich, George Kennan, Vasiliĭ Maklakov, I︠U︡liĭ Margolin, Sofii︠a︡ Pregeĺ Harrison Salisbury, I︠U︡riĭ Terapi︠a︡no, Nikolaĭ Uli︠́a︡nov, and Edmund Wilson. There are manuscripts of several stories by Olǵa, and of her biography of Vladimir; also included are the memoirs of N.N. Savvin about the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute. Printed materials include articles about Vladimir and his obituaries. There is a photograph of the "Normandie" coming into an American port in the 1930s.