The collection includes the personal correspondence and some of the research papers of Sir Norman Lockyer. The Marconi telegram is included, notifying Sir Norman Lockyer of the first Atlantic transmission using Ether waves, sent from Marconi at Mullion, Cornwall, to Sir Norman Lockyer of the Solar Physics Observatory, South Kensington, London, 12 January 1903, with copy telegram on reverse to Marconi from Norman Lockyer confirming receipt. Among the research papers are two boxes of eclipse notebooks, lecture notes, notes about articles, an early but mostly empty observation book, papers relating to the Royal Commission on Scientific Instruction 1871-1877, papers relating to the transfer of the Solar Physics Laboratory to Cambridge, and other papers relating to education, lectures, and addresses. Other personal papers include those arising from his being awarded honorary degrees and his attendance at public functions.

An additional box of letters consists of photocopied letters to Norman Lockyer which were photocopied and used by Professor A J Meadows in 1967 during his research on 'Science and Controversy: a Biography of Norman Lockyer' (published 1972). The majority of these letters have been photocopied from the originals held within the main Lockyer correspondence sequence. However, some letters have additionally been photocopied from other unspecified sources: some (but not all) of these have been photocopied and inserted into the main listed alphabetical Lockyer correspondence sequence. Further copies of correspondence used by Professor Meadows in his biography of Lockyer were added to the collection in 2006.