Established in the late 1860s, the Shanghai Municipal Council (SMC) was the official governing body of the Shanghai International Settlement established after the merger of British and American settlements. Among the SMC administrative departments were the police, fire control, public health, and public works, controlling a large proportion of the settlement's businesses such as gas, water and power supply, rickshaws, and tramways. On top of that, the SMC also maintained a multinational volunteer force, the Shanghai Volunteer Corps (SVC) between 1853 and 1942. It needs to be noted that the SMC was formed based on the votes of ratepayers in the settlement. In other words, the actual power of the SMC rested with the ratepayers. This collection consists of the SMC annual reports and budgets compiled between 1867 and 1941; reports and documents produced by SMC departments such as fire control, police, public works, and public health; minutes of Shanghai land renters and ratepayers meetings held from 1868 to 1893; and two illustrated pamphlets on the SVC history, personnel, and events.