The Papers of Edward William West reflect his interest in Pahlavi language and Zoroastrianism. The majority are handwritten notebooks and other manuscripts in which he did his work. These often have many inserts. There are also loose handwritten notes, some correspondence and some printed material.

The Papers consist of manuscripts of translations made by Rehatsek often with notes, prefaces etc by Forster Fitzgerald Arbuthnot, to whom Rehatsek had sent the translations.