The Emerson Knight Collection spans the years 1898 to 1965 and documents Knight's personal life, projects, and professional activities through reports and correspondence, drawings, and photographs. The collection is arranged in four series: Personal Papers, Professional Papers, Project Records, and National Park Service. The Personal Papers include personal correspondence and photographs, along with other personal memorabilia. The Professional Papers include correspondence, writings, and reports for organizations with which Knight was involved, such as Save the Redwoods League and Protect the Mother Lode Society, documentation of activity in other professional organizations, writings for publications, and reference files. The Project Records document projects developed by Knight from 1927-1949 through drawings, photographs, and records consisting of reports and correspondence. Knight is well known for the design of the Mountain Theater at Mount Tamalpais that is documented in photographs and drawings. A previous donation of Knight's papers contains further documentation of the Mountain Theater in the form of correspondence and reports. His work on parks and preservation for the Mexican government is also documented in reports and photographs. Additional documents include records and photographs of his project in Monterey, CA, limited photographic documentation of residential projects completed by Knight, and one drawing of a planting plan for his own residence. The National Park Service series includes projects Knight worked on during his years at the National Park Service, from 1934-1937. Projects from that time include reports and correspondence for preserving historic Monterey, CA, work on Oregon coast parks, the California coast and beaches, and East Bay Regional Parks, in addition to other projects.