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Lanman & Kemp. Lanman & Kemp records, 1840-1925 (bulk, 1852-1879)

Title: Lanman & Kemp records, 1840-1925 (bulk, 1852-1879)

The records of Lanman & Kemp document the operations of the wholesale drug business in the years before the development of modern pharmaceuticals. They also show the importance of New York City as a center for the import, export and re-export business and of London bankers in financing international trade and extending credit. By far the largest portion of the records is the foreign correspondence (33 linear ft.). The two largest files are for the London banking house of William Henry Cole and the Smyrna opium merchant Alexander Sidi. Inbound letters often contain descriptions of local business and political conditions. Ornate 19th century letterheads and orders give some sense of the range of products offered in pharmacies. Many Latin American customers bartered by trading coffee and hides. Domestic correspondence (6 linear ft.) covers 34 states and the District of Columbia, although most is from the Northeast and upper Midwest. The most informative letters are from New York State and Wisconsin. The records mention thousands of different drugs, from simple herbals such as arnica to chemicals such as gold nitrate, as well as preparations such as litargirio and opodeldoc. They give an idea of the medical preparations and supplies in demand in Latin America, from large cities such as Havana to small towns in Mexico and Colombia. They contain much information on the international trade in medicinal opium and in the preparation and marketing of patent medicines. Internal files include shipping papers, bills of exchange, inventories and account books. They also include correspondence of David Lanman's brother, Rear Admiral Joseph Lanman, and records of Edward Kemp's involvement in building the Episcopal Church of St. Peter's in Galilee in Monmouth Beach, N.J. near his country estate at Rumson.

ArchivalResource: 40 linear ft.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/650098540 View