Main content

Riggs & Brother Company records

Notifications

Held at: Independence Seaport Museum, J. Welles Henderson Archives and Library [Contact Us]Penn's Landing on the Delaware River, 211 South Columbus Blvd. and Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19106

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Independence Seaport Museum, J. Welles Henderson Archives and Library. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
Riggs
Repository:
Independence Seaport Museum, J. Welles Henderson Archives and Library
Extent:
5.0 boxes
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
[Description and date of item], [Box number], Riggs & Brother, 1887-1929, Independence Seaport Museum, J. Welles Henderson Archives and Library.
Date:
1887-1929 (inclusive)
Creator:
Riggs & Brother Company.
Form:
Correspondence, Financial records, and Inventories
Abstract:
Riggs and Brother, a Philadelphia chronometer and nautical instrument manufacture and import company, was founded in 1818 by William H. C. Riggs. The business records of the company include cash books, invoice books, day books, inventories and correspondence.

Riggs and Brother, a Philadelphia chronometer and nautical instrument manufacture and import company, was founded in 1818 by William H. C. Riggs (ca. 1795-1861), a clock and watch maker. The firm, located at 310 Market Street, was also a retailer of navigating instruments and publisher of a nautical almanac.

The firm became W. H. C. Riggs & Son in 1863, and Riggs & Brother in 1865, and it continued well into the twentieth century.

Over the years, they sold navigating instruments, clocks, watches, jewelry, silverware, etc., and the business expanded to include repair work. This business closed its doors in 1931.

The business records of the company include cash books, invoice books, day books, inventories and correspondence.

Donation. ISM number: 1985.020

The creation of the electronic guide for this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources’ “Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives” Project.

Finding aid entered into the Archivists' Toolkit by Garrett Boos.

Hagley Museum and Library: Three volumes related to Riggs & Brother: a ledger from 1889-1898, and two cash books covering 1892-1895, in accession number 1454.

Winterthur Library: Riggs & Brother records, 1889-1937, bulk 1889-1893, 1915 and 1931, Collection 13.

People
Organization
Subject
Place

Publisher
Independence Seaport Museum, J. Welles Henderson Archives and Library
Finding Aid Author
Finding aid prepared by Megan Hahn Fraser
Finding Aid Date
2011.12.02
Sponsor
The creation of the electronic guide for this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources’ “Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives” Project. Finding aid entered into the Archivists' Toolkit by Garrett Boos.
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

Copyright restrictions may apply. Please contact the Archives with requests for copying and for authorization to publish, quote or reproduce the material.

Collection Inventory

Cash book, 1887 July 2-1889 October 1.
Cash book, 1890 November 17-1892 January 21.
Cash book, 1899 July 1-1900 September 29.
Cash book, 1904 January 7-1904 December 6.
Cash book, 1904 December 6-1905 December 19.
Cash book, 1921 February 1-1923 February 12.
Cash book, 1923 February 14-1925 January 30.
Cash book, 1924 September 2-1925 December 22.
Cash book, 1926 December 14-1927 December 29.
Cash book, 1927 February 1-1929 February 28.
Day book, 1921 April-1921 December.
Day book, 1926 January-1929 July.
Day book, 1927 August-1929 May.

Cash book, 1905 December 22-1908 November 30.
Cash book, 1908 December 1-1912 November 6.
Cash book, 1912 November 11-1916 October 9.
Cash book, 1916 October 12-1919 March 28.
Invoice book, 1896 April 2-1900 September 28.
Invoice book, 1900 October 6-1903 August 31.
Invoice book, 1903 September 1-1907 March 1.
Invoice book, 1907 March 1-1908 December 26.
Invoice book, 1912 January 1-1913 December 31.
Invoice book, 1914 January 1-1916 February 29.
Invoice book, 1916 March 1-1919 April 1.
Invoice book, 1919 April 1-1920 July 31.

Cash book, 1901 November 25-1902 December 29.
Cash book, 1910 August 1-1911 October 11.
Cash book, 1911 October 13-1912 December 18.
Cash book, 1912 December 19-1914 March 17.
Cash book, 1914 March 19-1915 July 27.
Invoice book, 1898 July 1-1901 March 29.
Invoice book, 1901 April 1-1902 October 31.
Invoice book, 1906 December 1-1908 December 26.
Invoice book, 1914 January 1-1916 February 29.
Invoice book, 1916 March 1-1919 April 1.
Watch book #23, 1895 December 28-1899 May 15.
Watch book #25, 1901 July 23-1903 June 20.
Watch book #25 Index, 1901 July 23-1903 June 20.
Watch book #26, 1903 June 22-1905 April 29.
Watch book #33, 1916 August 10-1918 August 12.
Watch book #33 Index, 1916 August 10-1918 August 12.
Watch book #35, 1920 June 22-1922 March 15.
Watch book #35 Index, 1920 June 22-1922 March 15.

Print, Suggest