The Harry Bridges Legal Collection contains the documents and supporting material for his deportation cases; there are also some documents that refer to a contempt case and some libel cases. These papers originated in the law office of one of Bridges' principal defense lawyers Richard Gladstein. Additional materials on the Bridges cases can be found in the library's Richard Gladstein Collection and in the Norman Leonard Papers at the Labor Archives and Research Center California State University at San Francisco.

Harry Renton Bridges, also known as Alfred Renton Byrant Bridges, came to the United States in 1920 from Australia where he had been a seaman and involved in union activities.

Copyright has not been assigned to the Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research. Researchers may make single copies of any portion of the collection, but publication from the collection will be allowed only with the express written permission of the Library's director. It is not necessary to obtain written permission to quote from a collection. When the Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research gives permission for publication, it is as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

The collection is available for research only at the Library's facility in Los Angeles.  The Library is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Researchers are encouraged to call or email the Library indicating the nature of their research query prior to making a visit.