The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE 19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Steel, James W., 1799-1879.

Title: Receipt book

Dates: 1854-1875

Call No.: Doc. 778

Acc. No.: 79x177

Quantity: 1 volume (54 pages)

Location: 31 G

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

James W. Steel was an engraver in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born in 1799, he studied under Philadelphia engravers Benjamin Tanner and George Murray. For a short time he was a bank-note engraver for Tanner, Vallance, Kearney & Co. Later, he became an accomplished line-engraver and produced a number of portraits, landscapes, and annual plates. Toward the end of his career, he returned to bank-note engraving.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

Entries date from Jan. 3, 1854 to Jan. 26, 1875 and are written in Steel's hand and signed by other persons. The majority of the receipts are for rents paid by Steel for his home, office, and other properties. His house, located on Chestnut St., and his office, located on Walnut St., were leased from the Almshouse Property Committee. He also paid the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts ground rent until 1871. After 1871 he paid ground rent to Fox's American Theatre. Beginning in 1864 the receipts carry internal revenue stamps. Occasional entries document Steel's professional work. For example, one is for $15 for "engraving German die of Wright's Pills." Another is for preparing map models and "for diamond point." A few pertain to domestic services, groceries, and clothes.

Also included is a steel-engraving advertising Steel's services. The volume bears the label of Joseph Mufty, Blank Book Manufacturer, Philadelphia.

ORGANIZATION

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

The materials are in English.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

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

PROVENANCE

Purchased from Terry Alford.

ACCESS POINTS

Topics:

Rent charges.

Engraving.

Home economics - Accounting - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

Groceries - Prices.

Clothing and dress.

Receipts.

Trade cards.

Engravers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 31 G

Name and occupation indexes to Doc. 778:

Name index:

Bancker, Chas. G. 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16-20, 22

Casey, Mary 3

Cassaday, C. D. 1

Fox's American Theatre 90, 93, 103, 108, 109

Franklin Fire Ins. Co. 25

Gilpin, A. 102

Harrison, Richd. 1

Harvey, Wm. C. 14

Janney, N. E. 60, 71, 79, 96, 102

Jones 42

Kelly, P. J. 42

McPherson, Jn. W. 28, 31

Nicholson, E. L. 51, 52, 55, 57, 59, 61, 64, 67, 73, 77, 81, 100, 103, 105, 107, 109

North, S. A. 24, 36, 37, 45, 51, 52, 55, 59, 61, 64, 67, 73, 77, 81, 89, 90, 103, 105, 107, 109

North, Sarah A. 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 40, 44, 97, 100

North, Sarah Anne 36, 38, 39, 44

Price, Lucy Ann 12

Richardson, C. 46, 49, 50, 52, 53, 56, 60, 63, 65, 68, 71, 73, 77, 79, 83, 87, 91, 95, 99, 102, 105, 107, 109

Richardson, Chas. 56, 60, 79, 96

Sharp, G. W. L. 8

Steel, A. P. 89

Steel, Ann 2, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 20

Steel, Anna P. 90

Steel, C. W. 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 43, 44, 46, 48, 55, 57, 61, 93, 97, 106

Steel, Chr. W. 33-35, 37, 38, 51, 54, 59, 64, 69, 75, 78, 86, 89, 101, 103, 108

Steel, Hannah 2

Steel, Jas. W. 49

Steel, Wm. A. & Son 21, 23, 25

Wood, Geo. B. 36, 38, 39, 44

Wood, H. C. 4, 26, 32, 45

Wood, Horatio C. 3, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 19-23, 25-40, 43, 46

Occupations:

carpenter: J. W. McPherson

clerks: N. E.. Janney, Wm. Steel, Geo. B. Wood

grocer: Chr. W. Steel

merchants: Chas. Richardson, Horatio Wood