The collection consists of Hodder's writings, correspondence, documents, photographs, miscellaneous material, and printed matter, as well as similar papers of his wife, Mary Gwinn Hodder. The collections reflects Hodder's personal life as son, husband, lover, and father, as well as his professional career in the municipal arena of New York City during the first decade of the century. Although there is little material attributable to Jessie Donaldson, Hodder's mistress, his relationship with her permeates much of the collection. His writings include personal, political, and fictional works, but correspondence with his wife forms the bulk of his part of the collection. In addition, there is some correspondence with his mother, Mahalia Riley Hodder. There are also many photographs of Hodder, some of his rooms at the San Remo Hotel in New York City, and several unidentified ones of individuals and places. Printed matter consists mainly of scrapbooks of newspaper clippings.

The collection also contains Mary Gwinn Hodder's writings, correspondence, photographs, documents, financial material, memorabilia, miscellaneous material, and printed matter. Included are diaries; notebooks and loose papers (1918) in her hand, apparently taking down the incomprehensible ramblings of Alfred Hodder dictated from the beyond; notebooks of her youthful writings; Bryn Mawr College notes and lectures; the notes, fragments, and scraps of a translation of Beowulf; reminiscences of her years in Europe with M. Carey Thomas; and miscellaneous essays. There is family correspondence with her mother, Matilda Bowie Johnson, and her in-laws, Mahalia Riley Hodder and Alfred James Hodder. The rest of the correspondence is devoted to friends and acquaintances, especially M. Carey Thomas, Katherine Fullerton Gerould, and Gordon Hall Gerould. There are photographs of Mary Gwinn Hodder, her parents and friends, including Thomas and the Geroulds, as well as photographs taken while in Europe. Memorabilia consists of locks of hair, dried flowers, and cards.

In addition, there are papers of others including correspondence by Jessie Donaldson Hodder, the Hodder and Gwinn families, M. Carey Thomas, and some writings by Bryn Mawr students.