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Manuscript account books and documents which illustrate and document the history of accounting and business procedures from the 14th century into the 20th century. The earliest item is Ms. 18, a Papal bull relating to notaries and appointing Julius de Gentilibus as a notary; the latest is an invoice book from 1941. The types of volumes contained in this collection include instruction books, daybooks, waste books, journals, bank books, ledgers, receipt books, storage books, invoice books, registers, ships' logs, letter books, diaries, town books, tax roll books, articles of agreement, bills of sale, deeds, wills, and many other significant items. The material originated in many countries around the globe, and represents a range of business and occupations from household to trading company (e.g., English (East India Company) and French East Indian Company (Compagnie des Indes orientales) volumes), and from itinerant laborer to lawyer and physician. The majority of the manuscripts are English and American of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The earliest American account is Ms. 75, 1690-1730, Josiah Winslow, Plymouth, Mass.

Letters, documents, and business papers of various members of the Ludlow family, including documents relating to the estate of John Crooke, in account with Gabriel W. Ludlow, 1774-1795; letters and documents relating to the estate of Philip Livingston, including material on the Schoharie lands and letters to Charles Ludlow, executor, 1811-1814; Charles Ludlow papers including family and business letters, 1790-1809, miscellaneous business papers, 1773-1815; miscellaneous business receipts, 1785-1829, and checkbook and checks; documents relating to the estate of William Ludlow, 1785-1793; and documents relating to the estate of David Van Horne, in account with Charles Ludlow, 1765-1811.

Letters and documents, the majority written between 1700 and 1900, dealing with both personal and corporate business and financial matters, assembled by Montgomery. The letters are chiefly by American and English writers. Many of the American letters are to and from various United States Treasury officials, usually the Secretary of the Treasury. Of the 107 letters by Joseph Anderson (1757-1835), U.S. Senator and jurist, the majority are written to Samuel Swartwout (1783-1856) when he was Comptroller of the United States and Collector of the Port of New York. Most of the documents are American with New York City firms predominating.

The records of W.R. Grace & Co. cover the rise of the Grace shipping business from 1864 until World War II. The early correspondence concerns all aspects of the shipping business in New York and South America, mining interests in Peru and Chile, the railroad in Costa Rica, the inter-ocean canal planned for Nicaragua, and political interests throughout Central and South America. There are letter books, correspondence, and scrapbooks of clippings for all aspects of W.R. Grace's career. There are minute books and other documents for more than 50 subsidiary companies owned by W.R. Grace & Co. or by family members. The papers of Joseph Peter Grace (1872-1950) continue the business, family, and philanthropic activities until 1942. There are also 20 reels of motion picture film about the Grace Co. South American interests in the 1950s.