[Collection of business correspondence of W. H. Schieffelin & Co., 170 and 172 William Street, New York]
Title
[Collection of business correspondence of W. H. Schieffelin & Co., 170 and 172 William Street, New York]
Description
Collection of business correspondence dated between August 23, 1879 and May 5, 1898, including form letters, stationery, blank forms, billheads, and a circular. Two of the billheads contain ornamented type, decorative lettering, and an allegorical view. View includes an inset of a medieval apothecary at work surrounded by scenes of transportation and trade. Scenes show a train traveling past a large bundle and barrels, and a man standing near a horse-drawn cart loaded with bundles near a wharf by which a steam ship and sailing ship are visible on the water. Items billed include "Eng Catheters asstd," Rhubarb Root, Cuttle Bone, "Jayne's Cough Pills," Ayer's Sarsaparilla, Dandelion Root German, Garfield Tea, "Box from Fowler Mfg & Novelty Co.," Best Tooth Brush, and Dodds Kidney Pills. Collection also contains the August 1885 promotional circular "W. H. Schieffelin & Co's Soluble Pills and Granules" illustrated with images of the exhibition medals awarded to the firm, including Gold Medal, Holland International Exhibition, 1883; Paris Exposition, 1878; First Award, Sydney, 1879; Medal of Superiority, American Institute, New York, 1879; and Silver Medal, Melbourne, 1880. Medal imagery includes allegorical female figures, portrait busts, and garlands. Other correspondence relates to an invoice of goods, receipt for goods, requests for circulars from college of Pharmacy, the incorrect "William N. Clark," and an erroneous shipment of diphtheria antitoxin., Title supplied by cataloger., Printers include American Bank Note Company New York., Correspondents include G. W. Aimar & Co., Charleston, S.C. (founded in 1852); O. J. Griffin; David Hayes; M. Berliner & Co., Carry, Pa.; A. W. L. Jackson; William N. Clark; H. J. Patterson; and Polk Miller Drug Co., Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012., Gift of William H. Helfand., W.H. Schieffelin & Co. was originally founded by Effingham Lawrence in 1791. Lawrence sold the business to his brother-in-law Jacob Schieffelin and his brother John B. Lawrence in 1794 and it operated as Lawrence & Schieffelin until 1799 and the departure of Lawrence. Schieffelin continued in business and in 1805 entered into partnership with his son as Jacob Schieffelin & Son, which was reestablished in 1814 as H. H. Schieffelin & Co. following the retirement of Jacob. Henry H. retired in 1849 and his four sons assumed the firm, which became Schieffelin Brothers & Co. Between 1853 and 1859, Asher F. Randolph, John D. Dix, and William H. Schieffelin, William A. Gellatly and Joseph H. Westerfield also became partners in the business. In 1865, the four Schieffelin brothers retired and the firm became W.H. Schieffelin & Co. Schieffelin died in 1895 and William N. Clark, great-grandson of Jacob Schieffelin became president in 1895. The firm, which specialized in the manufacture of heavy chemicals and the distribution of synthetics, was incorporated as Schieffelin & Co. in 1903.
Date
[ca. 1870-ca. 1890]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Helfand Popular Medicine Stationery Collection - S [P.2011.46.220-228]