Traveler, lawyer and naturalist, Edwards became a correspondent of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia in August, 1859, only six months after it was founded. His address at that time was given as Coalburgh, West Virginia and apparently he lived there until he died. He published a record of a voyage up the river Amazon in 1847, and in 1900 the results of an inquiry into the correct spelling of the word Shakespeare. His monumental work, however, was a three volume quarto edition of The Butterflies of North America. The first series, or actually volume 1, was published by the American Entomological Society in 1868. The papers here assembled pertain to the business of the publication of that volume. They include cancelled checks, receipts, letters, accounts and a list of subscribers to the publication.