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M'Carty & Davis, Papers, 1816-1842
Contents List

About this collection

Business Correspondence, 1816 - 1825; 1832; 1836 - 1842
(numbers refer to items as identified in old catalog)

Box 1, Folder 1: 1816, 1-24 (Vol. 1 begins)
Box 1, Folder 2: 1816, 25-54
Box 1, Folder 3: 1816, 55-70
Box 1, Folder 4: 1816, 71-89
Box 1, Folder 5: 1816, 90-153
Box 1, Folder 6: 1816, 154-176
Box 1, Folder 7: 1816, 177-199
Box 1, Folder 8: 1816, 200-216
Box 1, Folder 9: 1816, 217-255
Box 1, Folder 10: 1816, 256-277
Box 1, Folder 11: 1816, 278-307
Box 1, Folder 12: 1816, 308-336
Box 1, Folder 13: 1816, 337-357
Box 1, Folder 14: 1816, 358-385
Box 1, Folder 15: 1816, 386-413
Box 1, Folder 16: 1816, 414-431
Box 2, Folder 1: 1816, 432-453
Box 2, Folder 2: 1816, 454-512
Box 2, Folder 3: 1816, 513-534
Box 2, Folder 4: 1816, 555-563 (Vol. 1 ends)
Box 2, Folder 5: 1817-1818, 1-24 (Vol. 2 begins)
Box 2, Folder 6: 1817-1818, 25-45
Box 2, Folder 7: 1817-1818, 46-67
Box 2, Folder 8: 1817-1818, 68-89
Box 2, Folder 9: 1817-1818, 90-117
Box 2, Folder 10: 1817-1818, 118-137
Box 2, Folder 11: 1817-1818, 138-154
Box 2, Folder 12: 1817-1818, 155-184
Box 2, Folder 13: 1817-1818, 185-232
Box 2, Folder 14: 1817-1818, 233-345
Box 2, Folder 15: 1817-1818, 346-368
Box 2, Folder 16: 1817-1818, 369-387
Box 2, Folder 17: 1817-1818, 388-417
Box 3, Folder 1: 1817-1818, 418-432
Box 3, Folder 2: 1817-1818, 433-453
Box 3, Folder 3: 1817-1818, 454-486
Box 3, Folder 4: 1817-1818, 487-504
Box 3, Folder 5: 1817-1818, 505-539 (Vol. 2 ends)
Box 3, Folder 6: 1817-1819, A-M, 1-24 (Vol. 3 begins)
Box 3, Folder 7: 1817-1819, A-M, 25-57
Box 3, Folder 8: 1817-1819, A-M, 58-97
Box 3, Folder 9: 1817-1819, A-M, 98-132
Box 3, Folder 10: 1817-1819, A-M, 133-166
Box 3, Folder 11: 1817-1819, A-M, 167-208
Box 3, Folder 12: 1817-1819, A-M, 209-238
Box 3, Folder 13: 1817-1819, A-M, 239-260
Box 3, Folder 14: 1817-1819, A-M, 261-284
Box 4, Folder 1: 1817-1819, A-M, 285-308
Box 4, Folder 2: 1817-1819, A-M, 309-335
Box 4, Folder 3: 1817-1819, A-M, 336-373
Box 4, Folder 4: 1817-1819, A-M, 374-396
Box 4, Folder 5: 1817-1819, A-M, 397-423
Box 4, Folder 6: 1817-1819, A-M, 424-448
Box 4, Folder 7: 1817-1819, A-M, 449-459
Box 4, Folder 8: 1817-1819, A-M, 460-476
Box 4, Folder 9: 1817-1819, A-M, 477-497
Box 4, Folder 10: 1817-1819, A-M, 498-520
Box 4, Folder 11: 1817-1819, A-M, 521-538
Box 4, Folder 12: 1817-1819, A-M, 539-574
Box 4, Folder 13: 1817-1819, A-M, 575-602
Box 4, Folder 14: 1817-1819, A-M, 603-626
Box 4, Folder 15: 1817-1819, A-M, 627-643
Box 4, Folder 16: 1817-1819, A-M, 644-658 (Vol. 3 ends)
Box 5, Folder 1: 1817-1819, N-Z, 1-14 (Vol. 4 begins)
Box 5, Folder 2: 1817-1819, N-Z, 15-65
Box 5, Folder 3: 1817-1819, N-Z, 66-99
Box 5, Folder 4: 1817-1819, N-Z, 100-164
Box 5, Folder 5: 1817-1819, N-Z, 165-199
Box 5, Folder 6: 1817-1819, N-Z, 200-234
Box 5, Folder 7: 1817-1819, N-Z, 235-268
Box 5, Folder 8: 1817-1819, N-Z, 269-298
Box 5, Folder 9: 1817-1819, N-Z, 299-328
Box 5, Folder 10: 1817-1819, N-Z, 329-374
Box 5, Folder 11: 1817-1819, N-Z, 375-408
Box 5, Folder 12: 1817-1819, N-Z, 409-450
Box 5, Folder 13: 1817-1819, N-Z, 451-486
Box 5, Folder 14: 1817-1819, N-Z, 487-532
Box 5, Folder 15: 1817-1819, N-Z, 532a-561
Box 5, Folder 16: 1817-1819, N-Z, 562-599 (Vol. 4 ends)
Box 6, Folder 1: 1820-1821, 1-14 (Vol. 5 begins)
Box 6, Folder 2: 1820-1821, 15-29
Box 6, Folder 3: 1820-1821, 30-45
Box 6, Folder 4: 1820-1821, 46-84
Box 6, Folder 5: 1820-1821, 85-116
Box 6, Folder 6: 1820-1821, 117-163
Box 6, Folder 7: 1820-1821, 164-194
Box 6, Folder 8: 1820-1821, 195-215
Box 6, Folder 9: 1820-1821, 216-239
Box 6, Folder 10: 1820-1821, 240-275
Box 6, Folder 11: 1820-1821, 276-315
Box 6, Folder 12: 1820-1821, 316-341
Box 6, Folder 13: 1820-1821, 342-374a
Box 6, Folder 14: 1820-1821, 375-390
Box 6, Folder 15: 1820-1821, 391-410
Box 6, Folder 16: 1820-1821, 411-440
Box 7, Folder 1: 1820-1821, 441-466
Box 7, Folder 2: 1820-1821, 467-510
Box 7, Folder 3: 1820-1821, 511-545
Box 7, Folder 4: 1820-1821, 546-606
Box 7, Folder 5: 1820-1821, 607-671
Box 7, Folder 6: 1820-1821, 672-716
Box 7, Folder 7: 1820-1821, 717-759 (Vol. 5 ends)
Box 7, Folder 8: 1822-1823, 1-13 (Vol. 6 begins)
Box 7, Folder 9: 1822-1823, 14-59
Box 7, Folder 10: 1822-1823, 60-89
Box 7, Folder 11: 1822-1823, 90-130
Box 7, Folder 12: 1822-1823, 131-153
Box 7, Folder 13: 1822-1823, 154-177
Box 7, Folder 14: 1822-1823, 178-216
Box 8, Folder 1: 1822-1823, 217-239
Box 8, Folder 2: 1822-1823, 240-261
Box 8, Folder 3: 1822-1823, 262-296
Box 8, Folder 4: 1822-1823, 297-327
Box 8, Folder 5: 1822-1823, 328-360
Box 8, Folder 6: 1822-1823, 361-394
Box 8, Folder 7: 1822-1823, 395-427
Box 8, Folder 8: 1822-1823, 428-483
Box 8, Folder 9: 1822-1823, 484-528
Box 8, Folder 10: 1822-1823, 529-595
Box 8, Folder 11: 1822-1823, 596-648 (Vol. 6 ends)
Box 8, Folder 12: 1824, 1-55 (Vol. 7 begins)
Box 8, Folder 13: 1824, 56-108
Box 8, Folder 14: 1824, 109-146
Box 8, Folder 15: 1824, 147-180
Box 8, Folder 16: 1824, 181-203
Box 9, Folder 1: 1824, 204-226
Box 9, Folder 2: 1824, 227-252
Box 9, Folder 3: 1824, 253-302
Box 9, Folder 4: 1824, 303-322
Box 9, Folder 5: 1824, 323-350
Box 9, Folder 6: 1824, 351-375
Box 9, Folder 7: 1824, 376-410
Box 9, Folder 8: 1824, 411-476
Box 9, Folder 9: 1824, 477-537
Box 9, Folder 10: 1824, 538-595
Box 9, Folder 11: 1824, 596-642 (Vol. 7 ends)
Box 10, Folder 1: 1825, A-K 1-33 (Vol. 8 begins)
Box 10, Folder 2: 1825, A-K 34-64, 66
Box 10, Folder 3: 1825, A-K 65, 67-101
Box 10, Folder 4: 1825, A-K 102-130
Box 10, Folder 5: 1825, A-K 131-155
Box 10, Folder 6: 1825, A-K 156-178
Box 10, Folder 7: 1825, A-K 179-212
Box 10, Folder 8: 1825, A-K 213-253, 255
Box 10, Folder 9: 1825, A-K 254, 256-299
Box 10, Folder 10: 1825, A-K 300-328
Box 10, Folder 11: 1825, A-K 329-391
Box 10, Folder 12: 1825, A-K 392-443
Box 10, Folder 13: 1825, A-K 444-476
Box 10, Folder 14: 1825, A-K 477-525 (Vol. 8 ends)
Box 11, Folder 1: 1825, L-Z 1-30 (Vol. 9 begins)
Box 11, Folder 2: 1825, L-Z 31-66
Box 11, Folder 3: 1825, L-Z 67-122
Box 11, Folder 4: 1825, L-Z 123-143
Box 11, Folder 5: 1825, L-Z 144-170
Box 11, Folder 6: 1825, L-Z 171-189
Box 11, Folder 7: 1825, L-Z 190-219
Box 11, Folder 8: 1825, L-Z 220-266
Box 11, Folder 9: 1825, L-Z 267-309
Box 11, Folder 10: 1825, L-Z 310-378
Box 11, Folder 11: 1825, L-Z 379-444
Box 11, Folder 12: 1825, L-Z 445-473 (Vol. 9 ends)
Box 12, Folder 1: Miscellaneous Letters, 1834-1835 Box 12, Folder 2: 1832, And-Colt (1-100)
Box 12, Folder 3: 1832, Coo-Doh (101-142)
Box 12, Folder 4: 1832, Doy-Harp (143-257)
Box 12, Folder 5: 1832, Hart-McCarty, James (258-350)
Box 12, Folder 6: 1832, McCarty, William-Potter (351-454)
Box 12, Folder 7: 1832, Price-Zent (455-580)
Box 13, Folder 1: 1836, Ander-Eck (1-126)
Box 13, Folder 2: 1836, Faunce-McCarty, James (127-249)
Box 13, Folder 3: 1836, McCarty, William-Pugh (250-363)
Box 13, Folder 4: 1836, Reed-Zepp (364-447)
Box 14, Folder 1: 1837, Ames-Des (1-98)
Box 14, Folder 2: 1837, Doh-Lew (99-241)
Box 14, Folder 3: 1837, Lipp-McCarty (242-296)
Box 14, Folder 4: 1837, McDow-Pratt (297-400)
Box 14, Folder 5: 1837, Rod-Yea (401-499)
Box 15, Folder 1: 1839, Amer-Des (1-70)
Box 15, Folder 2: 1839, Doh-Hills (71-160)
Box 15, Folder 3: 1839, Hills-McCarty (161-221)
Box 15, Folder 4: 1839, McDow-Ritt (222-319)
Box 15, Folder 5: 1839, Robb-Wright (320-388)
Box 16, Folder 1: 1840, Amer-Field (1-81)
Box 16, Folder 2: 1840, Flet-Kay (82-171)
Box 16, Folder 3: 1840, Kelly-Moss (172-255)
Box 16, Folder 4: 1840, McDow-Reu (256-330)
Box 16, Folder 5: 1840, Ritt-Young (331-428)
Box 17, Folder 1: 1841, Amer-David (1-60)
Box 17, Folder 2: 1841, Davis-Hogan (61-141)
Box 17, Folder 3: 1841, Holl-Price (142-260)
Box 17, Folder 4: 1841, Prout-Stuart (261-349)
Box 17, Folder 5: 1841, Sutton-Yor (350-393)
Box 17, Folder 6: 1842, And-Ens (1-49)
Box 17, Folder 7: 1842, Field-Jones (50-101)
Box 17, Folder 8: 1842, Kay-Zane (102-245)

About this collection

M'Carty & Davis were early Philadelphia booksellers and publishers. The firm, owned by William McCarty (1788?-1861) and Thomas Davis (1790?-1851), was a successor to Johnson & Warner, who were noted for publishing children's books. Jacob Johnson (1771?-1819) and Benjamin Warner (1786-1821) sold their firm in 1815 to McCarty and Davis. In 1831, Moses Polock (1817-1903) was employed by McCarty & Davis as a clerk. Twenty years later Polock acquired the business and upon his death the firm descended to Polock's nephew, Abraham Simon Wolf Rosenbach (1876-1952). This collection consists of the business papers of M'Carty & Davis, with most of the items being correspondence to M'Carty & Davis from booksellers, bookbinders, printers, paper manufacturers, engravers, shipping firms, and customers. There are gaps in the chronological coverage. The early materials also include business correspondence to Benjamin Warner and receipts signed by him. Scattered throughout the collection are announcements of publications (usually indexed in the card catalog by publisher and not by author) and petitions by laborers in the book business related to working conditions (many of which are indexed under "labor petitions"). While most of the indexing was by personal name, the following are some of the subject headings that were used: binders' list, compositors, post office, pressmen, printers' prices, proposals, stereotyping, temperance cook book.

The items, which cover the period 1816-1825, in boxes one through eleven were previously housed in folio volumes one through nine. The items, which cover the periods 1832, 1836-1837, and 1839-1842, were previously housed in boxes one through six.

There are two folio volumes that were not indexed. The first in an Order Book with entries from 1 October 1830-July 1832. The second is Accounts Due, c. 1823-c. 1828, which lists the credit granted by M'Carty & Davis to bookdealers. In most cases there are notations of the dates when the debts were settled. This volume includes sample engravings by Francis Kearny (1785-1837) for an edition of Ivanhoe from drawings by Richard Westall (1765-1836). There is one engraving of a dog by R. Crane and J. Boyd. There is also a sample excerpt from The Port Folio (a monthly magazine for which M'Carty & Davis acted as agents, not publishers) and a subscription announcement for the magazine. The folder contains mostly fragments from the various volumes.

Additional records of the firm may be found in Philadelphia at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and at the Rosenbach Museum and Library.

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