This collection is composed primarily of photographs of campus buildings, including Gasson Hall, Bapst Library, Devlin Hall, and Saint Mary's Hall. In addition to photographs, this collection contains negatives, glass plate negatives, slides, contact sheets, clippings from magazines, postcards, and architectural renderings and building plans. Most images are exterior or interior views of campus buildings.

Within Series I, individual buildings, Alumni Hall refers to a building on the main campus that housed the Alumni Association but was demolished. Alumni House refers to the Putnam House on Newton Campus, where the Alumni Association moved shortly before Alumni Hall was demolished. Photographs in Series III, exteriors and landscapes, include images of the entrances to Boston College, landscaping around campus, the Dustbowl, and the quad. The Dustbowl refers to a green space on campus framed by McElroy Commons, Fulton and Lyons Halls, on the space where Stokes Hall now stands. The Dustbowl served as event space for tailgates, commencements, and athletics. Series IV, Devlin Hall / Higgins Hall interiors, contains interior photographs of science labs with students and faculty members in either Devlin or Higgins Hall. Series V contains aerial views of campus. A small number of aerial views, focused on one building, may also be found in Series I. Series VI, bound volumes, includes a 1926 calendar with photographs of Boston College buildings, campus, and athletics for each month; sketches of campus buildings from Sub Turri; and Clifton Church photographs of campus with descriptions in Latin.

Of particular note are photographs taken by the landscape photographer Clifton Church of the early Boston College campus. Between 1917 and 1934, Church photographed the first campus buildings as they were constructed. Notably, the collection includes a series of drawings in pencil by the architectural firm Maginnis and Walsh of early campus buildings.

Photographs of groundbreakings and dedications for campus buildings are also included in this collection, as well as pictures of plans for the construction of several buildings, most notably O'Neill Library. In addition, this collection includes photographs of Boston College High School in the South End.

Unless the format is otherwise specified, the item is a photographic print.