The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Herter Brothers

Title: Records

Dates: 1891-1907, bulk 1901-1908.

Call No.: Col. 93

Acc. No.: 85x225, 89x25.1

Quantity: 11 cubic feet (27 boxes, 37 volumes)

Location: 16 G 1-3 and H 2-6

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

Founded in 1865 by Gustave and Christian Herter, the Herter Brothers soon became one of New York's leading interior designers and furniture makers. Its client list included such names as Armour, Guggenheim, McCormack, Vanderbilt, the St. Regis Hotel, the Bellevue Stratford Hotel, Delmonico's, the Minnesota State Capitol, and the White House. The brothers used such materials as ebonized wood, inlays of ivory and gilt, and other ostentatious devices to satisfy the tastes of their wealthy clients. French, English, and Japanese influences are evident in the furniture designs. In 1870, Christian bought out Gustave who then returned to his native Germany. In 1881, Christian retired from the business and moved to Paris to paint. He subsequently returned to New York City and died there. The company carried on into the 20th century. These papers deal with the period between 1895 and 1907 when William Gilman Nichols served as president of the company.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

This collection of business includes general accounts, purchase and sales records, letters, bills, time books, and foreign and domestic ledgers. These manuscripts provide a detailed record of furnishings and prices for work at many well-known locations. Specifically, the ledgers contain detailed records of interior decoration and furnishings. The handwritten and copies of letters to clients and suppliers contain design proposals, descriptive details regarding style, materials to be used, sketches, specifications, and notes. The foreign ledger reveals the international scope of Herter Brothers' clientele. And, the bills frequently have the name of the job for which the items recorded on them were purchased. The bound volumes deal with the financial aspect of sales, purchases, payroll, and balances.

ORGANIZATION

The papers are not arranged in any particular order, except that the unbound materials are separated from the bound volumes. Volumes 11, 14, 16, and 25 have name indexes.

PROVENANCE

Gift of Mr. & Mrs. James C. Nelson, Jr.

ACCESS POINTS

People:

Herter, Gustave, 1830-1898.

Herter, Christian, 1839-1883.

Nichols, William Gilman.

Vanderbilt family.

Armour family.

Guggenheim family.

McCormack family.

Topics:

Bellevue Stratford Hotel.

Delmonico's (Restaurant)

St. Regis Hotel.

White House (Washington, D.C.)

Furniture - New York (State) - New York.

Furniture industry and trade - United States.

Furniture design.

House furnishings - United States.

Business records - New York (State) - New York.

Interior decoration - United States.

Wages - Furniture workers.

Estimates.

Ledgers.

Account books.

Bills (financial).

Letters.

Letterpress copy books.

Bankbooks.

Checkbooks.

Balance sheets.

Checks.

Journals (bookkeeping).

Payrolls.

Receipts.

Time sheets.

Cabinetmakers.

Interior decorators.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 16 G 1-3 and H 2-6

Box 1:

Arnold, Constable and Co., bills – Oct. 1902-Nov. 1904 (8 folders)

Box 2:

Arnold, Constable and Co., bills – Dec. 1904-Mar. 1906 (4 folders)

C. Weinberg & Co., bills – Dec. 1902-Jan. 1904 (7 folders)

Box 3:

C. Weinberg & Co., bills – Feb. 1904-Jan. 1906 (8 folders)

H. Behlen & Bro., bills - 1903-1905 (2 folders)

E.C. Carter, bills - 1903-1905

M.H. Birge & Sons Co., bills - 1903-1905

Moeller & Littauer, bills - 1904-1905

Box 4:

Geo. I. Roberts & Bros., bills - 1902-1905

Gould-Mersereau Co., bills - 1903-1907 (4 folders)

Jay C. Wemple Co., bills – Nov. 1903- July 1905 (2 folders)

Robert Graves Co., bills - 1902-1906 (2 folders)

Bayer-Gardner-Himes Co., bills - 1903

Box 5:

Bayer-Gardner-Himes Co., bills – Jan. 1904-Mar. 1906

Johnson Leather Co., bills - 1903-1905

Petigny Freres & Co., bills - 1903-1906

Aimone Mfg. Co., bills – Oct. 1902- Nov.1905 (2 folders)

Benj. Gillespie, bills - 1902-1906

Robert Rossman, bills – Oct. 1902- June 1905 (2 folders)

Jacques Kahn, bills - 1904-1906

Catok & Beller, bills – Feb. 1903-June 1906 (2 folders)

Morris Bernhard Co., bills – Oct. 1904-Mar. 1906

Box 6:

F. Schumacher & Co., bills – Feb. 1903- Feb. 1906 (2 folders)

F.J. Newcomb Mfg. Co., bills – July 1900- Oct. 1908 (3 folders)

B. Saubiac & Son, bills – June 1901-May 1905 (2 folders)

E.G. Soltmann, bills – Oct. 1902- Dec. 1903

Box 7:

E.G. Soltmann, bills – Jan. 1904- May 1906 (2 folders)

Edw. Craig Roberts, bills – May 1901- May 1906 (2 folders)

F.C. Buckhout, bills – May 1901- Sept. 1905

Chas. P. Rogers & Co., bills – April 1902- Jan. 1906 (3 folders)

Box 8:

C.A. Stock & Co., bills – Oct. 1902-June 1905 (2 folders)

Chas. Rinschede Jr., bills – June 1902- Nov. 1905 (3 folders)

B. Altman & Co., bills – 1902-1906

Armour (Curled Hair & Sandpaper), bills - 1902-1908

Marble & Shattuck Chair Co., bills - 1904-1905

Box 9:

B.L. Solomon's Sons, bills - 1903-1905 (2 folders)

Candee & Smith, 1903-1904 (2 folders)

Candee, Smith & Howland, bills – Nov. 1904-March 1906

Decorative Stained Glass Co., bills – Apr. 1902- Mar. 1904

Keuffel & Esser Co., bills - 1903-1905

Peter Schneider's Sons & Co., bills - 1902-1905

Stern Bros., bills - 1903-1905

Box 10:

Palmer & Embury Mfg. Co., bills - 1902-1905

A.M. de Beck & Co., bills - 1903- Jan.1906 (3 folders)

W. Keck, bills - 1900-1904 (2 folders)

Oscar Rudolph, bills - 1902-1904

Wirth & Fyfe, bills - 1902-1905

Box 11:

John A. Dohrman, bills - 1895-1906 [includes Dohrman & Penney and Dohrman & Lethbridge]

Tuttle & Bailey Mfg. Co., bills - 1903-1906

Jas. Gracie & Son; Chas. R. Gracie, bills - 1903-1907

F. Heizenroeder, bills - 1903-1906

Richter Mfg. Co., bills - 1902-1905

R. Ballance & Son, bills - 1902-1904

E.A. Whipple, bills - 1903-1905

R.A. Schoenberg & Co., bills - 1903-1904

Jacob Winter Co., bills - 1903-1906

Rees & Rees, bills - 1903-1905

Box 12:

R. Taggart, Jr., bills - 1903-1905

H.F. Meyer & Co., bills - 1903-1905

George F. Moore, bills - 1902-1906

David Shuldiner Glass Co., bills - 1903-1904

J.H. Thorp & Co., bills - 1903-1905

Batterson & Eisele, bills - 1904-1905

Paul L. Bryant, bills - 1903-1905

Hajek Marble Co., bills - 1904-1905

Herman Petri, bills - 1903-1905

J.F. Travis' Sons, bills - 1903-1905

W.H.W. Teele Co., bills - 1904-1906

Wm. H. Jackson, bills - 1901-1905

D.B. Pershall, bills - 1903-1905

H.M. Susswein & Co., bills - 1903-1905

Richard E. Thibaut, bills - 1904-1905

A. Pellegrini & Co., bills - 1902-1905

Box 13:

J. Bernard Co., bills - 1903-1906 (2 folders)

Stillwater Mfg. Co., bills - 1904-1905

Corrigan & Hurley, bills - 1905-1906

Jacob Dieter & Son, bills - 1899-1906 (2 folders)

Johnson & Faulkner, bills – Aug. 1903-1906 (5 folders)

Box 14:

Wm. P. Youngs & Bros., bills - 1903, 1905-1906

P.E. Guerin, bills - 1902-1906

Compound Door, bills - 1904-1905

Ichabod T. Williams & Sons, bills - 1903-1905

Yale & Towne Mfg. Co., bills - 1903-1905

Hofstatter's Sons, bills - 1902-1905

Hugo Klahre Co., bills - 1903-1905

W.H.S. Lloyd Co., bills - 1903-1906

Morant & Co., London, 1903-1904

William Birch, Ltd., London, 1904-1905

Box 15:

Russmann, Galland & Wechman, Paris, 1903-1906 (3 folders)

E. Kahn & Co., London, 1903-1905

Galerie Sangiorgi, Rome, 1903-1904

Cernisien & Dantant, Paris, 1903-1905

Paul Monnier, Lyon, France, 1902-1904

A. Olivotti & Co., Florence, 1904

M. Jesurum & Co., Venice, 1903-1904

Newman, Smith & Newman, London, 1903

Jansen, Paris, 1903-1904

Bath Cabinet Makers Co., Ltd., Bath, 1903-1904

J.P. Morgan & Co., 1903-1904

Baese & Co., 1902-1905

Lazard Freres, 1903-1905 [these are receipts for money exchange, not bills]

Miscellaneous foreign bills, 1901-1905

Box 16:

Peter Theis' Sons, bills - 1905-1906

Herman Beitz ( also Beitz & Luedeke), bills - 1901-1905

C.J. Cleaver, bills - 1902-1904

Miller, Haas & Co., bills - 1904-1905

N.E. Montross, bills - 1903-1905

Miscellaneous bills, 1896-1901

Miscellaneous bills, 1902 (2 folders)

Miscellaneous bills, Jan.-May 1903 (2 folders)

Box 17:

Miscellaneous bills, June-Dec. 1903 (3 folders)

Miscellaneous bills, Jan. – Feb. 1904 (2 folders)

Box 18:

Miscellaneous bills, March – June 1904 (6 folders)

Box 19:

Miscellaneous bills, July – Oct. 1904 (7 folders)

Box 20:

Miscellaneous bills, Nov. – Dec. 1904 (4 folders)

Box 21:

Miscellaneous bills, Jan.- May 1905 (9 folders)

Box 22:

Miscellaneous bills, June – Dec. 1905 (7 folders)

Miscellaneous bills, Jan.-Feb. 1906 (2 folders)

Box 23:

Checks, Second National Bank, May-Aug. 1903 (2 folders)

Checks, Second National Bank, Oct. 1903 - Jan. 1904

Checks, Second National Bank, Jan.-June 1904 (3 folders)

Checks, Second National Bank, June-Oct. 1904 (2 folders)

Checks, Second National Bank, Oct. 1904 - Jan. 1905

Box 24:

Checks, Second National Bank, Jan.-May 1905 (2 folders)

Checks, Second National Bank, May-July 1905

Checks, Columbia Bank, July 1905

Checks, Columbia Bank, Sept.-Oct. 1905

Checks, Columbia Bank, Jan., April, July 1906

Archer & Pancoast Co.

Ireland, Alfred W.

Taxes 1896-1904

Box 25:

Miscellaneous bills, March-Dec. 1906 (2 folders)

Disbursements, Payroll, 1901

Payroll, April-Dec. 1901

Payroll, 1904 (3 folders)

Payroll, 1905

Payroll, 1906

Box 26:

Disbursements, 1904

Disbursements, Payroll, 1905-1906

Trial balances, 1903-1905

Norcross Bros., contract, 1901

Releases

White House, contracts

Minnesota State Capitol, contract, correspondence (2 folders)

St. Regis Hotel; Arnold, Constable & Co., contracts, correspondence, 1903-1905 (3 folders)

Contracts

Box 27:

Contracts

Letters, 1906 (2 folders)

Miscellaneous

Etimate for furniture, mantels, etc. Rathburn, Esq., NY, 1875

Bound volumes:

Vol. 1: Letters, Aug.-Nov. 1904

Vol. 2: Letters, Nov. 1904 - Jan. 1905

Vol. 3: Letters, proposals, orders, May 1904 - Feb. 1905

Vol. 4: Letters, Jan.-April 1905

Vol. 5: Letters, June 1903 - Dec. 1906

Vol. 6: Letters, May 1905 - April 1906

Vol. 7: Letters, April 1906 - July 1907

Vol. 8: Store, Nov. 1897 - Oct. 1903

Vol. 9: Store, Oct. 1903 - 1904

Vol. 10: Store, Oct. 1903 - June 1905

Vol. 11: Ledger, 1891-1905 [includes name index]

Vol. 12: Journal, 1891-1906

Vol. 13: Journal, 1903-1906

Vol. 14: Book of accounts, 1896-1903 [includes name index]

Vol. 15: Books of accounts, 1897-1905

Vol. 16: Cost ledger, 1902-1905 [includes name index]

Vol. 17: Cashbook, 1898-1906

Vol. 18: Sales, 1898-1904

Vol. 19: Upholsterer's time book, 1900-1903

Vol. 20: Time book, 1901-1903

Vol. 21: W. Norton, order book, ca.1904

Vol. 22: Hardware & material, 1900-1904

Vol. 23: Wood costs, 1899-1903

Vol. 24: Supplies purchased journal, 1894-1905

Vol. 25: Foreign ledger, 1891-1905 [includes name index]

Vol. 26: Delivery receipt book, 1903-1905

Vol. 27: Delivery receipt book, 1905

Vol. 28: Delivery receipt book, 1905

Vol. 29: Second National Bank passbook, 1902-1903

Vol. 30: Check register, Second National Bank, 1903

Vol. 31: Check register, Second National Bank, 1903

Vol. 32: Check register, Second National Bank, 1903-1904

Vol. 33: Check register, Second National Bank, 1904

Vol. 34: Check register, Second National Bank, 1904-1905