The collection consists chiefly of correspondence and documents of American artist John Trumbull, some of which is related to his paintings of the American Revolutionary War. Other material included is correspondence of Trumbull's father, Jonathan Trumbull, who was governor of Connecticut. John Trumbull's material includes a letter from Edward Everett from the House of Representatives asking Trumbull's opinion regarding providing better preservation to his paintings in the"Rotunda." There are two letters from Thomas Sully of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts requesting to borrow Trumbull's work for an exhibition. In a letter dated 30 October 1841, Caroline Adam De Windt, granddaughter of President John Adams, writes to Trumbull requesting a"pencil sketch" of an extract from his Battle of Trenton painting. This is followed by a letter written in 1842 from the engraver David C. Hinman asking for permission for his employer, the engraver John Warner Barber, to engrave copies of Trumbull's paintings of the Battle of Princeton and the Battle of Trenton for a work to be published illustrating the history and topography of New Jersey. Also included are four letters from the artist's nephew, John M. Trumbull, dating between 1806 and 1807. Other correspondents include the printmaker Peter Maverick, Wolcott Huntington of the House of Representatives, and the author Samuel Swett, who criticizes the accuracy of Trumbull's memoirs and paintings. In addition, there are two promissory notes and four bank checks signed by Trumbull, as well as a subscription receipt, dated 19 July 1790 and signed by Trumbull, for two prints of his The Battle of Bunker's [sic] Hill and Death of General Montgomery.

Jonathan Trumbull's material includes a letter dated 1 July 1768 and sent to Jedediah Elderkin regarding a settlement of Col. Dyer and another letter to Thomas Mumford, dated 7 April 1778, regarding a conflict about a property between a Mr. William Gorton and Governor Bradford.