The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware  19735

Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:         Nispel & Weiss (Philadelphia, Pa.)   

Title:               Bills

Dates:             1876-1880

Call No.:         Col. 656

Acc. No.:        74x396.1-.30

Quantity:        30 items

Location:        34 J 4

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Nispel & Weiss were importers and dealers in china, glass, and queensware.  Their business was located at 305 North 2d St. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.   The partners in the firm were Henry Nispel, John H. Nispel, and Bernard Weiss.

 

Henry Nispel was born in Hesse, Germany, around 1817.  He married Mary Longaker, and John H. Nispel was one of their children.  Although a resident of Philadelphia in 1850 and 1870, by 1880, the Nispels lived in Camden, New Jersey.  Bernard Weiss, their partner, lived in Camden with them at that time.  In the 1900 census, John H. (born 1850) was listed as head of household, with his widowed father living with him, his wife Laura A. Charles (1852-1927), and their children.  John died in Camden in December 1933.  Henry Nispel died in Camden in October 1915.

 

Little was learned about Bernard Weiss.  According to the 1880 census, he was 66 years old at that time and had been born in Germany.  He wrote his will in February 1888; he named Henry, Mary, and John H. Nispel as his heirs.  Court records listed his death date as March 7, 1888.

 

The 1880 census for Churchville, Northampton township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, lists Joseph Finney, age 30, as a merchant.  He was born in 1849, the son of Mary Hagaman and John Franklin Finney.  He died in 1923.  He also operated a gristmill in the county.  His general store was carried on by his son and grandsons until around 1960.  Joseph Finney was probably the Finney of the Finney & Hagaman partnership; presumably Mr. Hagaman was one of his mother’s relatives.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

A collection of bills for goods bought from Nispel & Weiss by Finney & Hagaman or by Joseph Finney.  (A handwritten note on one of the bills indicates that Finney had a general store near Churchville, which is in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.)  Items being sold included glass lamps, burners, glass and china eggs, lamp chimneys, Negro dolls, tea pots, yellow pie plates, ice cream dishes, mason jars, tumblers, cups and saucers, shaving mugs, bakers, salt and pepper shakers, and other items.  The billheads include a picture of various pieces of china.

 

           

ORGANIZATION

 

For the most part, the bills 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

 

Purchased from William B. Pennebaker.

           

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

People:

            Finney, Joseph, 1849-1923.

            Nispel, Henry, 1817-1915.

            Nispel, John H., 1850-1933.

            Weiss, Bernard, circa 1815-1888.

 

Topics:

            Finney & Hagaman.

            Glass trade - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

            Glass - Prices.

Pottery - Prices - 19th century.

Porcelain - Prices - 19th century.      

Lamps - Prices.

Business records - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

Invoices.

Billheads.

Merchants.

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 34 J 4

 

 

All accession numbers begin with 74x396.

 

All bills are from Nispel & Weiss.  All are on printed and illustrated billheads: importers and dealers in china, glass and queensware, wholesale and retail

 

 

Folder 1 of 1:

 

.1         to Finney & Hagaman, Jan. 20, 1876: burners, sugars, lamps

 

.2         to Finney & Hagaman, Feb. 4, 1876: burners, nappies, plates, preserves[?], jellys

 

.3         to Finney & Hagaman, Feb. 11, 1876: glass eggs, china eggs, burners, chimneys, etc.

 

.4         to Finney & Hagaman, March 24, 1876: Negro dolls, wicks

 

.5         to Finney & Hagaman, March 30, 1876: tea set, tea pot, yellow pie plates

 

.6         to Finney & Hagaman, May 24, 1876: cent nappies, ice creams, etc.

 

.7         to Finney & Hagaman, June 29, 1876: mason genuine [jars]

 

.8         to Finney & Hagaman, Aug. 25, 1876: pint jars, rubber[?]

 

.9         to Finney & Hagaman, Nov. 11, 1876: stand, some kind of plate, shades, set of something

 

.10       to Finney & Hagaman, Nov. 17, 1876: butters, molten[?], wicks

 

.11       to Jos. Finney, Dec. 22, 1877: argand chimney, o.c.t. chimney, holder

 

.12       to Jos. Finney, Jan. 4, 1878: burners

 

.13       to Jos. Finney, Jan. 4, 1878: lamp, argand chimney and burner, other burners

 

.14       to Jos. Finney, Jan. 25, 1878: lamp shade & reflector, chimneys

 

.15       to Jos. Finney, Jan. 25, 1878: burners, lamp with shade & base, chimneys

 

.16       to Jos. Finney, Feb. 15, 1878: lamp shades and chimneys

 

.17       to Mr. Fenney, March 8, 1878: parlor burners

 

.18       to Jos. Finney, April 12, 1878: tea something, ship tumblers, saucers, cups, etc.

 

.19       to Jos. Finney, May 17, 1878: chambers, saucers, mugs, shaving mugs, etc.

 

.20       to Jos. Finney (general store in Churchville area), May 24, 1878: chimneys or various sorts

 

.21       to Jos. Finney, July 5, 1878: plates and gallon jugs

 

.22       to J. Finney, Aug. 13, 1880: cups, saucers, salt and peppers, pat creams, tumblers

 

.23       to Jos. H. Finney, Feb. 11, 1880: burners, argand burners, cup plates, scallops, other kinds of plates, chambers, ewers & basins, mugs, earthen pans, dishes, Queen Anne sugar something, etc.

 

.24       to Jos. Finney, May 12, 1880: bakers, argand chimney, etc.

 

.25       to J. H. Finney, June 2, 1880: sauce boats, jellys, Q.A. sugar something, nursery chimney

 

.26       to Jos. Finney, June 24, 1880: Mason jars (quarts and pints)

 

.27       to Jos. Finney, July 16, 1880: merchandise, nursey chimneys, salt and pepper shakers

 

.28       to Jos. Finney, Aug. 16, 1880: Mason jars (quarts)

 

.29       to Jos. Finney, Sept. 4, 1880: Mason jars (quarts)

 

.30       to Jos. Finney, Sept. 24, 1880: hand lamps, bowls, chimneys