Members of the House of Commons, 17th and 18th parliaments

Collection Spotlight

Members of the House of Commons, 17th and 18th parliaments

What’s green, fits in the palm of your hand and offers a snapshot of parliamentary history? Two tiny handbooks once used by members of Parliament and parliamentary staff in the 1930s! These pocket-sized ready references are the smallest books in the Library of Parliament’s collection. They’re also a staff favourite.

These miniature books profile the members of the House of Commons at the beginning of the 17th and 18th parliaments. Besides an individual’s name and portrait photograph, each page contains a wealth of information – such as their party affiliation, riding, seat number in the chamber, parliamentary office number and previous occupation.

Holding the record as our smallest book is the edition for the 18th Parliament, which began in February 1936. This volume is also bilingual, with each page conveying details in both English and French. As tiny as it is, the book’s fine pages also manage to include a few advertisements for local Ottawa businesses.

The volume for the start of the 17th Parliament, which began in September 1930, is slightly larger. This edition contains fold-out seating plans for the Government and the Opposition in the House of Commons. A few of the profile pages are autographed in pencil or ink by the parliamentarians depicted.

Both volumes were produced by the Photogelatine Engraving Company, a printing firm that specialized in postcards. It was located on Wellington Street, not far from the Parliament Buildings, from 1920 to 1947.

Today, instead of being found in the pages of a small book available to only a few that quickly becomes obsolete, current parliamentarians’ profiles can be searched online in Parlinfo. This database is updated frequently and is available for free to the public. It also provides historical information – about all senators and members of Parliament since 1867 – including details about the members of the 17th Parliament and 18th Parliament beyond what our two diminutive volumes contain.

Details

  • The 18th Parliament edition measures 6.8 cm high by 5.2 cm wide by 1.3 cm thick. It retains its original binding.
  • The 17th Parliament edition measures 6.5 cm high by 8.4 cm wide by 2 cm thick. It has been repaired and rebound.
  • Both are bound in green book cloth and stored in custom protective enclosures. The pages are fastened together with metal staples, using a technique called wire-stitching. The book spines are adorned with a gold leaf beaver fleuron stamp.
Two small books, bound in dark green, standing upright. The smallest volume is being held between someone’s thumb and forefinger to give an idea of scale.
Members of the House of Commons: 18th Parliament – Membres de la Chambre des communes (left) and Members, House of Commons: Seventeenth Parliament (right)
Each page of a small open book shows a portrait photograph of a Canadian member of Parliament and, in English and French, the member’s party affiliation, riding, location in the House of Commons, office number and previous occupation.

Members of the House of Commons: 18th Parliament – Membres de la Chambre des communes, open at D. E. Black and M. L. Black.

A book being held open to show a fold-out page with a seating plan.

Members, House of Commons: Seventeenth Parliament, open at the fold-out seating plan for the Government side of the House of Commons.