The Brinton Entertaining Company Papers contains films, slides, projectors, papers, and other documents from the life and career of William Franklin Brinton of Washington, IA. Brinton was an itinerant showman, travelling from Texas to Minnesota to project slides, film, and stage other entertainments during the years 1895-1909. He was also the manager of the Graham Opera House in Washington, which is still an active movie theater today and was recently declared the longest continually operating cinema in the world. Brinton was an eccentric and energetic individual, and the collection not only preserves some of the earliest commercially available film, it also contains material related to Brinton’s experimental interests, such as his passion for designing flying machines long before human flight became a reality.

The Brinton Papers are broken down into three series, with further breakdowns into sub-series. The collection is described at various levels based on research and instructional value, with some files being itemized or indexed while others are more generally described.

Brinton's publications and miscellanious materials are included in the 19TH & 20TH CENTURY EPHEMERA & PUBLICATIONS series.

The BRINTON ENTERTAINING & THE GRAHAM OPERA HOUSE series includes all materials identified as having come from or been involved with the Graham Opera House and/or Brinton's cinematic/entertainment work. This series is broken down into 6 sub-series. The Films sub-series includes 7 silent films on reels, while the Film catalogs sub-series contains print catalogues relating to a number of silent films. The Hardware and anaglog media sub-series contains a number of artifacts, including wax cylinders, glass plates, and film projectors. The programs, posters, and clippings sub-series including promotional materials relating to the Graham Opera House's performances, but also includes some materials from other entertainment companies. The Talent sub-series mainly consists of photographs of actors/entertainers, with some paystubs. The Operations sub-series includes finances, schedules, contracts and agreements, correspondnece, supplies, and a number of tickets.

The BRINTON FAMILY series is broken into 7 sub-series. The first is the Betty Osincup Addendum. Betty Osincup and her husband owned a drug store in Washington, Iowa, where he was required to deliver items to Indiana Brinton in her home. He would have to call her first, as she was a nudist and would put on an apron to answer the door. After Ina's death, an auction was held in 1955, and Mrs. Osincup bought the items included in this addendum. She gave them to the University of Iowa in 2017. The Indiana "Ina" Brinton sub-series contains correspondence, catalogues, and personal affects from Brinton's wife, "Ina." Of note is her work in researching and purchasing, with the financial assistance of her husband, much of the land the Brinton's came to own. The William Frank Brinton sub-series contains correspondence, financials, personal affects (including Brinton's shirt), and his inventions/patients. The General Brinton Family sub-series contains correspondence with extended family and with W.F. Brinton's parents. It also includes some geanlogical materials and the wanted poster for his father, Jonathan, who 'dissapeared' during a trip to Jerusalem, Palestine. Smaller sub-series include Land purchase research, Photographs, Trips to Palestine (olive wood and other souvenires), and Miscellaneous (friends of the family, general connections to the Brintons).