The collection consists of records relating to the administration and development of the Dundee Technical Institute, which later became the Dundee Technical College and School of Art.

The core of the collection is in the form of minutes of the main governing body (ABY-DTCSA-1) and committee of management (ABY-DTCSA-2), student enrolment registers recording academic achievements of students (ABY-DTCSA-3). These registers start at the end of 1902, and the gap in the student record before this is partially addressed by the prize lists that were published from 1892/3 onwards (ABY-DTCSA-7). These are amongst another core publicity record, syllabuses (prospectuses) advertising courses offered and describing their content (ABY-DTCSA-7).

A large part of the collection consists of correspondence relating to officials, such as the principal and treasurer (ABY-DTCSA-3-3, 4, 5, & 6). Amongst these are a number of letters from serving soldiers during the First World War giving accounts of what they are experiencing.

Other records dealing with development of the institution include the published Principal’s Reports starting in 1913/14 (ABY-DTCSA-6) and top level financial accounts (abstracts) within the financial records (ABY-DTCSA-4). Estates records also provide a detailed record of the project to construct a new building in Bell Street at the beginning of the twentieth century, including building plans (ABY-DTCSA-5).