Overview
A collection of seventeenth century to twentieth century business instruments such as accounts receivable, bills, checks, notes, stock certificates, warranties, and samples of business letterhead.
Dates
- Creation: 1600-1969
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Materials stored onsite. Please contact specialcollectionsref@hbs.edu for more information.
Extent
15.50 linear feet (29 boxes)The collection contains a wide variety of business instruments dating from the seventeenth century to the twentieth century. The documents are divided into three series: Forms, Miscellany, and the Robert and Irma Jackson Collection of Business Documents. The first two series are arranged alphabetically by document type. The Jackson series is a small collection of business instruments arranged by company name (when known) or by document type. The collection provides an overview of the various types of business instruments, such as accounts receivable, bills, checks, stock certificates, warranties, etc. The bills and receipts are also a valuable resource for determining commodity prices during the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Also of interest are the autographs and corporate letterheads. Portfolio items and oversized documents have been removed to the manuscript-oversize collection.
Historical Note:
Business instruments are written statements of fact that have sufficient authority to serve as evidence or proof in legal proceedings. At a minimum, business instruments provide evidence of specific transactions, obligations, or intentions that comprise commercial activity. The form and function of these documents evolved with changes in business law and information technology, but many of the more common types have their roots deep in European commercial traditions.
Series Outline
The collection is arranged in the following series:
- Series I. Forms, 1600-1967
- ___Subseries I.A. Forms, 1600-1967
- ___Subseries I.B. Stock certificates,1791-1964
- ___Subseries I.C. Warranties, service agreements, etc., collected by Donald R. Sohn for his DBA thesis, 1959 (these are mostly owners’ manuals)
- ___Subseries I.D. Material dealing with warranties and service agreements collected by Donald R. Sohn for his DBA thesis, 1959
- Series II. Miscellany, 1600-1969
- ___Subseries II.A. Miscellany
- ___Subseries II.B. Bills by subject
- ___Subseries II.C. Bills by date and family
- ___Subseries II.D. Letterhead
- ___Subseries II.E. 10K Reports
- Series III. Robert and Irma Jackson Collection of Business Documents, 1778-1915
Physical Location
MANU
Provenance:
Gift of H.F. Aiken, November 1931; Permanent loan from American Bank Note Company, 1959-1961; Baldwin Papers; Gift of Mrs. Bancroft; Boston Public Library; Gift of A.H. Churchill; Gift of Mr. Clark, May 1947; Gift of Elizabeth C. Coburn; F.R. Currier; Gift of Walter H. Dugan, June 1932; Gift of Mrs. F. Eckstrom, September 1931; Gift of Chas. S. Ensign, Jr., June 1938; Gift of F. Murray Forbes, Jr., October 1952; Gift of Harriet J. & Florence G. Ford, August 1934; Hobbs Collection; Purchase from Julian C. Hood, 1948; Gift of T.F. Jewett, May, 1933; Clara L. Leach; Gift of Mrs. C. Mills, 1932; Gift of Missouri Pacific Railroad Co., November 1950; Gift of Mrs. Lawrence Park, April 1937; George B. Roorbach; Donald R. Sohn; Gift of Charles Taylor; Trotter Collection.; Gift of Robert and Irma Jackson, 1993.
Processing Information
Processed: March 1999
By: Sean Perrone
Genre / Form
- Account books
- Agreements.
- Autographs.
- Bank statements.
- Bills of exchange.
- Bills of lading.
- Bills.
- Bonds (legal records)
- Bonds (negotiable instruments)
- Certificates.
- Checks.
- Claims.
- Contracts.
- Correspondence.
- Deeds.
- Escrows.
- Indentures.
- Insurance policies.
- Inventories.
- Invoices.
- Leases.
- Legal documents.
- Letterheads.
- Letters of credit.
- Letters patent.
- Letters.
- Licenses.
- Manifests.
- Mortgages.
- Powers of attorney.
- Promissory notes.
- Receipts.
- Records.
- Ships' manifests.
- Stock certificates.
- Warranties.
Topical
- Title
- Business instruments collection, 1600-1969: A Finding Aid
- Author
- Baker Library
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- bak00143
Repository Details
Part of the Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School Repository
Baker Library Special Collections and Archives holds unique resources that focus on the evolution of business and industry, as well as the records of the Harvard Business School, documenting the institution's development over the last century. These rich and varied collections support research in a diverse range of fields such as business, economic, social and cultural history as well as the history of science and technology.
Baker Library | Bloomberg Center
Soldiers Field Road
Boston MA 01263 USA
(617) 495-6411
specialcollectionsref@hbs.edu