Binny & Ronaldson Papers, 1805-1822 (inclusive).
Title
Binny & Ronaldson Papers, 1805-1822 (inclusive)
Description
The Binny & Ronaldson Papers contains correspondence relating to their type-founding firm, including letters from the noted publisher John Binns, and author Joel Barlow, as well as to their ceramics factory, the Columbian Pottery. The financial records hold material documenting both business and the pair's personal lives, such as invoices for the funeral and burial of Binny's first wife Elizabeth (d. 1812)., The Library Company holds copies of A Specimen of metal ornaments cast at the letter foundery of Binny & Ronaldson (Philadelphia: Printed by Fry and Kammerer) in 1809, and their Specimen of printing types from the foundery of Binny & Ronaldson, Philadelphia in 1812., On deposit at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. For service, please contact the Historical Society at 215-732-6200 or http://www.hsp.org., Archibald Binny (1762-1838), type founder, was a native of Portobello, near Edinburgh, Scotland, and immigrated to the United States in 1796. James Ronaldson (1768-1842), also born near Edinburgh, arrived in America in spring 1794, and opened a bakery in Philadelphia in 1795. After losing his business in a fire in 1796, he joined Binny in partnership as Binny & Ronaldson type founders. Binny and Ronaldson were also partners in another endeavor, the Columbian Pottery, which was located on Cedar (now South) Street in Philadelphia, and operated from 1808 through about 1814. Binny retired to St. Mary's County, MD, in 1815, and Ronaldson continued in the type founding business through 1831.
Creator
Binny & Ronaldson
Date
1805
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | MSS McA MSS 006, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A64353#page/1/mode/1up
Grigg Block, North Fourth Street, Philadelphia.
Title
Grigg Block, North Fourth Street, Philadelphia
Description
View of the active business block containing and named after Grigg, Elliot, & Co., the largest and most prosperous publishing firm in the city that was founded by John Grigg in 1823 and purchased by J. B. Lippincott in 1849. Shows the block of buildings (10-20 North Fourth Street) covered in signage and including Barcroft, Beaver & Co., dry good dealers and S. M. Day, wholesale combs, brush and fancy goods trimmings (10); Goff & Peterson, importers and manufacturers of saddlery, carriage, and harness trimmings (12); Grigg, Elliot & Co. (14); C. H. & Geo. Abbott, dealers and importers of hardware and cutlery and C. Ahrenfeldt & Co., importers of toys & fancy goods (16); C. B. Lassell & Co., hats and caps and Charles Wingate, dealer in shoes, boots, and palm leaf hats (18); and Edwin & John Tams, importers and dealers of china, earthenware, and glass (20). Patrons exit and enter the various storefronts; delivery men, including an African American man, haul, load, and remove goods from horse-drawn and push carts; laborers load goods into shop storage cellars and use a pulley to raise a large cask; store clerks inspect and open newly arrived packages on the sidewalk; a horse-drawn dust settling machine passes in the street; and artisans and merchandise are visible in several of the shops' upper floor windows. Partial views of the adjacent buildings and a nearby alley with a laborer and push cart are also visible., Title from item., Date from Poulson inscription on recto: Dec. 1848., Contains advertisements for six of the depicted businesses below the image., Philadelphia on Stone, POS 331, Accessioned 1982., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Rease, a prominent mid-19th century Philadelphia trade card lithographer known to highlight details of human interest in his advertisements, partnered with Francis H. Schell in the 1850s and eventually operated his own press until around 1872.
Creator
Rease, W. H., lithographer
Date
[1848]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department **W 162 [P.2077]