The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE 19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Fryer, George Gross, 1854-1936.

Title: Papers

Dates: 1873, 1879, 1887-1890

Call No.: Col. 502

Acc. No.: 76x191

Quantity: 50 items

Location: 34 J 3

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

George Gross Fryer was an antiques dealer located at 1722 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the last quarter of the 19th century. According to the 1884 Philadelphia directory, Fryer lived at 1704 Race and was the manager of a bric-a-brac shop owned by the estate of George Fryer at 1316 Chestnut Street. The surname is also misspelled as Freyer.

The founder of the shop was George Fryer (1825-Dec. 20, 1880). In the 1850 census, he was listed as a merchant; in the 1860 census he was listed as a mantilla manufacturer; in the 1870 census, he was listed as a dry goods merchant. In the 1880 census he was listed as a bric-a-brac merchant, with sons Morris 91859-1919) and Frank Dewees (1863-1938) working with him. Son George G. Fryer was listed as a mechanical engineer in 1880. The elder Fryer was married to Mary J. (Jennie, Mary Jane Smyth) Fryer (died June 29, 1896, at age 63). They had other children, as well, including son Nevins (died July 21, 1903). His mother’s name was Catherine (died Aug. 4, 1860 at age 86), and he had an older brother named William (died June 10, 1885 at age 63). His father was probably the William Fryer who died Nov. 15, 1849, at age 65.

George G. Fryer later had a distinguished career in Syracuse, New York. He married a woman named Regina, and they had a son George V. Fryer.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

Papers contain letters, printed and non-printed bills, and auction catalogs collected by George G. Fryer from 1879 to 1890, with a few items addressed to his father George Fryer. Most of the letters are with other dealers or collectors, and deal with the arrival of large shipments of antiques. Items mentioned include silver-plated candelabras, trays, medals, cabinets, a portrait of George Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart, a corner chair, and intaglio rings with stones. A number of letters make inquiries about the history of certain objects or types of objects like figurines, engravings, autographs, and a miniature of General Jackson. An auction catalog for the Cohen auction at 1828 Rittenhouse Square, and a list of items sold at an auction in 1887 are also included. Among the bills (with printed billheads) are one for furniture and one for a wedding reception.

ORGANIZATION

The items are in chronological order.

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

The materials are in English.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.

PROVENANCE

Accession 76x191: Purchased from Charles Wood.

Accession 12x163.18: source unknown.

RELATED MATERIALS

A collection of George Gross Fryer’s papers is held by the Onondaga Historical Association, Syracuse, New York.

ACCESS POINTS

People:

Fryer, George, 1825-1880.

Fryer family.

Topics:

Antiques.

Antique dealers - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

Art objects.

Commercial correspondence.

Letters.

Auction catalogs.

Bills.

Invoices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 34 J 3

[note: all accession numbers begin with 76x191, unless otherwise noted;

all bills and letters addressed to George G. Fryer, unless otherwise noted]

Folder 1: 1873, 1879, 1887

12x163.18 George Fryer, Philadelphia, to Mrs. James, no city, July 1, 1873: the dishes were purchased in Japan “and are of great age”; discusses prices; ask for Mr. Brigg’s address so can write him about his wares

.1 letter from R. B. Field, antiquary and collector, Jericho, Vermont, December 3, 1879, is sending the clock; collects various objects [letterhead mentions coins, birds’ eggs and general bric-a-brac];

Endorsed on back: old Dutch clock;

Printed letterhead

[this letter was sent to George Fryer, not George G. Fryer]

.3 letter from George Streit, New York City, April 15, 1887, invites Fryer to come view his recent shipment of antiques sent from Europe

.39 receipted statement from John Wanamaker to George Fryer, sent April 7, 1887, receipted May 5, 1887: payment for unspecified merchandise

Printed form;

Penciled note on back about change of address from 1316 to 1722 Chestnut

.37 letter from Robert I. Spencer of Charles Spencer & Co., Leicester Knitting Mills, Germantown, May 6, 1887, to “dear George”: plans for the coming Sunday

.4 letter from George Streit, New York City, May 27, 1887, to “Dear Sir,” offering recipient of letter first choice of his recent shipment of antiques, including much silver

.5 letter from George Streit, New York City, May 27, 1887: check received; invites Fryer to come view his recent shipment of antiques sent from Europe

.6 note from Edward Greey, art dealer, New York City, June 2[?], 1887, please hold order until October as plans to be away for summer;

Printed letterhead

.7 letter from Ed. Frossard, coin and stamp dealer, New York City, June 3, 1887, giving his opinion on the value of some French medals;

Name and address stamped on stationery

.8 letter from George Streit, New York City, June 12, 1887: is on his way to Europe; wants to know when Fryer wants his autumn stock and what sorts of goods he wants; gives his address in Silesia

.9 letter from George Meade, Philadelphia, June 20, 1887: about portrait of George Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart for R. W. Meade;

Address printed on stationery

.40 invitation from Clement R. Hoopes, Philadelphia, July 14, 1887, for dinner on Saturday;

Printed letterhead

.28 letter from H. B. Leski, real estate agent and broker, Philadelphia, August 16, 1887: his commissions and charges for collecting rents and maintaining rental properties;

Printed letterhead

.41 bill from J. H. Carr to Nevins W. Fryer, October 1, 1887, for altering and cleaning coat and vest, with receipt on back noting that George G. Fryer paid the bill

.14 S. A. Tuguet’s(?) list of goods for sale, October 10, 1887, mostly European and Japanese porcelain and ceramics, but also some glass; includes some description, for example: Brownfield dinner plate with landscape center; Gien vases with Griffin handles; etc.

.42 receipted bill, from M. Thomas & Sons, auctioneers, Philadelphia, to account of Mary J. Fryer, October 11, 1887, for sale of a bond

Printed billhead

.43 bill from J. H. Carr to Nevins W. Fryer, Philadelphia, October 13 or 18, 1887, for a new suit of clothes and for repairing coat and vest

.44 bill from John S. Trower, caterer, Germantown, Philadelphia, to Mrs. George Fryer, November 1, 1887, charges for a wedding reception and setting up awnings;

Printed billhead, including some of the food items offered; billhead printed by McManus, printer

.13 note, November 3, 1887, about a missing tray of rings, noting customers in store at time the tray went missing, and what others had purchased

.12 list of rings: intaglio, enamel, carnelian, pearl, etc. [presumably those on the tray that went missing]

.11a letter from Ellsworth Westervelt, New York City, November 14, 1887, to George C. Fryer & Co.: please sell goods as soon as possible;

Printed letterhead

.10 letter from E. B. Willits, New York City, November 24, 1887, looking for an antique three-legged chair with triangular seat; endorsed on back: “about old corner chair”

.45 bill from Philip C. Shaffer, furniture and decorations, Philadelphia, to Mrs. George Fryer, November 29, 1887, for oak, mahogany, and walnut furniture, mattresses, cretonne couch, towel rack, etc.

Printed billhead

.16 letter from John E. Reyburn, no city, December 12, 1887: Mrs. Reyburn found the Mercury figure which she wanted at Bailey, Banks & Biddle;

[from Pennsylvania State Senator John Edgar Reyburn]

.46 note, Jos. C. Cartledge, Philadelphia, December 21, 1887: about leveling gravestones at his lot in Ronaldson’s Cemetery

Folder 2:

.29 letter from George Schalles for Schalles & Albrecht, Philadelphia, January 24, 1888, about furnishing molding and columns, all to be made of mahogany

.17 letter from J. W. M. Lee, Baltimore, February 27, 1888, about gaining admittance to the Walters collection

Address printed on stationery

.30 letter from John A. Stevenson, lumber merchant, Philadelphia, March 8, 1888: price for boxing lumber

Printed letterhead

.18 copy of letter from Fryer, Philadelphia, to Mrs. Chew, April 25(?), 1888: estimate of cost to put the furniture “in first class order,” all to be scraped, repaired, and refinished

.22 “Catalog of Household Furniture, Mirrors, Pianoforte, Carpets, Etc., … to be sold at public sale on … May 2, ’88,” M. Thomas & Sons, auctioneers; sale to be at 1828 Rittenhouse Square; lists items by room (dining room, library, front kitchen, etc.);

Endorsed on back: “sale of Cohens things”

.27 letter from Hinrichs & Co., New York City, May 25, 1888: unless he pays by 29^th, they will resort to legal action;

Printed letterhead

.19 typed letter from A. B. Crane, Baltimore, May 28, 1888: Mr. Garrett does not wish to purchase the pictures;

Address printed on stationery (same address as for letter of Feb. 27, 1888)

.20 letter from Mrs. Ida Long, Philadelphia, June 6, 1888: wishes to sell her collection of engravings and autographs

.25 telegram, L. A. Lanthier, New York, June 12, 1888, “if good, buy it,” re: miniature of Washington

.21 letter from Mrs. Ida Long, Philadelphia, August 7, 1888, about price for autographs

.23 letter from Charles J. Cohen, Philadelphia, August 10, 1888, must wait to hear from sisters before making decision about mirrors;

On back: address of Henry Shepherd, Shepherdstown, W.Va., and sketch of something

.31 letter from Hussey & Son, hard wood floors, walls & ceilings, Philadelphia, October 2, 1888, about floor for a customer

.32 letter from Hussey & Son, hard wood floors, walls & ceilings, Philadelphia, October 2, 1888, about prices for floors at 1828 S. Rittenhouse Square;

Endorsed on back: estimate for wood carpet for Spencer, 1828 Locust

.24 note, E. Mitchell, to Mr. Albert, November 17, 1888, “Please try to get 7 or 8 dollars for the lot.”

Endorsed on back: Mrs. E.K. Mitchell, about old dress

.38 endorsed on back: “Memo of [illegible] for furniture, Spencer, Nov. 1888”; list of sofas and chairs and the yardage of fabric and trim needed to cover them

.15 Adams Express Company, December 8, 1888, shipping receipt for something shipped to Mrs. Perry Alden, Cornwall, Lebanon Co., Pa.

.26 letter from L. A. Lanthier, New York City, December 12, 1888, about price for miniature of General Jackson;

Printed letterhead

.33 letter from J. M. Foster & Co., consulting engineers, New York City, June 8, 1889, will be making an appointment for Mr. Foster to call on him;

Printed letterhead

.34 letter from J. M. Foster & Co., consulting engineers, New York City, June 12, 1889, how to make an appointment for Mr. Foster to call on him;

Printed letterhead

.35a-b letter from C. Shillard(?) Smith, Lima Ohio, June 30, 1889, misses their games of checkers; sorry Fryer has been unable to rent Cape May houses; drummers claim to be doing better business than last year; has a lot of work to do to pack up and ship wool; hopes they and Eldridge can vacation in Denver in August;

Written on printed stationery of Lima House, J. Goldsmith, proprietor

.47 letter from brother Morris Fryer, Fryer & Jagoe, merchandise brokers, Sioux City, Iowa, October 21, 1889, please let him know which words he has misspelled; what is the report on the sample of clay sent; will send another sample (which is to have flake gold) as soon as receive it;

Firm name and address stamped on stationery

.48 letter from brother Morris Fryer, Fryer & Jagoe, Sioux City, Iowa, November 9, 1889, hopes the sale is successful; no hurry on testing the clay sample as the ground is now frozen;

Firm name and address stamped on stationery

.36 letter from J. Thorpe Potts, consulting engineer, Philadelphia, November 29, 1889, business is connected with metallurgy, etc.

Printed letterhead

.49-.50 letter from brother Morris A. Fryer, merchandise broker, Sioux City, Iowa, January 9, 1890: about return of a musket and who might have it; monetary matters about a [milita] company supper; asking about old friends; would be “a dandy district for a good well boring machine”

Printed letterhead: firm name was Fryer & Jagoe, but “& Jagoe” has been crossed out

.11b apology from Lee

.2 note, “this was presented to the wife of one of the officer of the U.S. steamer Susquehanna by Dr. Frederick Rose, a surgeon in the Royal Navy, G.B., …”; no indication of what object was so presented

Index to acc. 76x191.1-.50, Col. 502

Adams Express Company .15

Albert .24

Albrecht (of Schalles & Albrecht) .29

Alden, Perry (Mrs.) .15

Ashmead .17

Burk & McFetridge .22

Carr, J. H. .41, .43

Cartledge, Jos. C. .46

Chew .18

Cohen .22

Cohen, Charles J. .23

Crane, A. B. .19

Field, R. B. .1

Foster, J. M., & Co. .33-34

Freyer, Geo.- see Fryer

Frossard, Ed. .7

Fryer .17, .23, .29, .49-50

Fryer & Jagoe .47-48

Fryer, Geo. C., Co. .11a

Fryer, G. G. .16, [.18,] .25-27, .46

Fryer, Geo. .1, .8, .20, [.35a,b,] .37, .39-40, .44-45, [.47-50]; 12x163.18

(also spelled Freyer)

Fryer, Geo. G. .5-6, .9, .15, .19, .21, .28, .30-34, .36, .41

(also spelled Freyer)

Fryer, Mary J. .42

Fryer, Morris A. .47-50

Fryer, N[evins] W. .41, .43

Garrett, [T. H.] .19

Goldsmith, J. .35a,b

Greey, Edward, Art Gallery of .6

Hinrichs & Co. .27

Hoopes, Clement R. .40

Hussey & Son .31-32

Jackson, [Andrew] Gen..26

Jagoe (of Fryer & Jagoe) .47-48

James (Mrs.) 12x163.18

John Wanamaker .39

Lanthier, L. A. .25-26

Lee .11b

Lee, J. W. M. .17

Leskie, H. B. .28

Lima House .35a

Long, Ida .20-21

McFetridge (of Burk & McFetridge) .22

McManus .44

Meade, Geo. .9

Meade, R. W. .9

Mitchell, E. .24

Potts, J. Thorpe .36

Reyburn, John E. .16

Rose, Frederick (Dr.) .2

Schalles & Albrecht .29

Schalles, Geo. (Jr.) .29

Shaffer, Philip C. .45

Smith, Charles Shillard[?] .35a-b

Spencer, Charles, & Co. .37

Spencer, Robt. I. .37

Stevenson, John A. .30

Streit, George .3-5, .8

Stuart, [Gilbert] .9

Susquehanna (U. S. steamer) .2

Thomas, M., & Sons .22, .42

Trower, John S. .44

Walters Collection .17

Washington, [George] .9, .25

Western Union Telegraph Company .25

Westervelt, Ellsworth .11a

Willets, E. B. .10

OCCUPATIONS

Agent .19, .28, .33-34

Auctioneer .22, .42

Broker .28, .47-48, .49-50

Collector .1

Dry goods merchant .39

Engineer .33-34, .36

Importer .6, .39

Insurance Co. .47-50

Lumber merchant .30

Painter, portrait .9

Printer .22, .44

Surgeon .2