Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Duyckinck Collection.
2. Emmet Collection.
3. Ford Collection.
4. Sabin Collection.
5. Thomas J. Taylor Collection.

Description

1. 3.06 linear feet (7 boxes, 1 oversize folder)

Summary

1. The Mercantile Collection, 1726-1950, is a synthetic collection documenting mercantile and other business activities from the early-17th to the mid-20th centuries, especially in the northeastern United States. It consists of papers and records created by persons, firms, and companies engaged chiefly in trade, finance, insurance, mining, railroad management, shipping, and whaling. A few items pertain to manufacturing and real estate. Transatlantic commerce in the colonial and early-national period, and the early railroad industry in America, are strongly represented. Notable material includes the assorted papers of New York City and Philadelphia merchants, among them members of the Pemberton family of Philadelphia; Vice-Admiralty court proceedings; and the incomplete ledger of an 18th-century New York City druggist.

Subject

1. Merchants
2. New York (N.Y.) > Commerce
3. International trade
4. Shipping records
5. Banks and banking > United States
6. Businessmen
7. Philadelphia (Pa.) > Commerce
8. Merchants > Great Britain
9. Whaling
10. Pharmacy > New York (State) > New York > History > 18th century
11. Railroads > Cuba
12. Mariners
13. Ship captains
14. Business records
15. Commercial correspondence
16. Merchants > United States
17. United States > History > 1865-
18. Property records
19. Photographs
20. Real property > United States
21. Account books
22. United States > History > 1783-1865
23. United States > History > Revolution, 1775-1783
24. Shipowners
25. Mining corporations
26. Privateering
27. Accounts
28. Technical drawings
29. Insurance > United States
30. Legal instruments
31. United States > Commerce
32. Menus
33. Stock certificates
34. Railroads > United States
35. Shipping > United States
36. Mercantile system
37. Prize law > Great Britain
38. United States > History > Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775

Genre/Form

1. Account books.
2. Accounts.
3. Business records.
4. Commercial correspondence.
5. Legal instruments.
6. Menus.
7. Photographs.
8. Property records.
9. Shipping records.
10. Stock certificates.
11. Technical drawings.

Call number

1. MssCol 24608

Source (note)

1. The Mercantile Collection was compiled over time from various purchases and donations made in the late-19th and 20th centuries, including transfers from the Duyckinck Collection, the Emmet Collection, the Ford Collection, the Sabin Collection and the Thomas J. Taylor Collection.

Language (note)

1. Includes items in Dutch, French, German, and Spanish.

Processing action (note)

1. The collection received an accession-level description in 1986. In 2017-2018 a number of small collections were removed for separate description and access, and the main finding aid was revised. The collection's original arrangement in two series was retained.

Title

1. Mercantile collection.

Production

1. 1726-1950, bulk 1750-1900.

Type of content

1. text

Type of medium

1. unmediated

Type of carrier

1. sheet
2. volume

Language

1. Includes items in Dutch, French, German, and Spanish.

Processing action

1. The collection received an accession-level description in 1986. In 2017-2018 a number of small collections were removed for separate description and access, and the main finding aid was revised. The collection's original arrangement in two series was retained.

Source

1. The Mercantile Collection was compiled over time from various purchases and donations made in the late-19th and 20th centuries, including transfers from the Duyckinck Collection, the Emmet Collection, the Ford Collection, the Sabin Collection and the Thomas J. Taylor Collection.

Connect to:

1. Finding aid

Occupation

1. Businessmen.
2. Mariners.
3. Merchants.
4. Ship captains.
5. Shipowners.

Added author

1. Duyckinck Collection.
2. Emmet Collection.
3. Ford Collection.
4. Sabin Collection.
5. Thomas J. Taylor Collection.

Research call number

1. MssCol 24608