John W. Reay Papers

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: 2018-002

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the travels of John W. Reay as a Patent Medicine Salesman. These documents follow Reay's customer orders, correspondence, statements, and geographic whereabouts between the dates of March 29, 1857 and August 1, 1857. Company began in 1808 as Murray and Lanman, changed to David T. Lanmann Co. by 1835, and was changed again to Lanman and Kemp in 1861

Dates

Creation: March 29, 1857-August 1, 1857

Creator

John W. Reay (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is held by the Rochester Public Library. Copyright of the papers may be held by the authors', or authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain written permission of the holder[s] of copyright and the Rochester Public Library before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

Biographical Note

John W. Reay was born in the West Indies in 1831 to Cordelia Reay. He made his way from the West Indies to Brooklyn, N.Y. with his family and remained in Brooklyn for the majority of his life. During this time he married Cordelia Rushmore and began working as a Patent Medicine Salesman for the David T. Lanman and Co.

Extent

0.26 Cubic Feet (one letter box) ; 15x10x3

0.026 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This materials consists of the customer records, statements, and correspondence kept by travelling patent medicine salesman John W. Reay in his time working for David T. Lanman and Co. between the dates of March, 29, 1857 to August, 1, 1857.

Arrangement

This collection consists of one box divided into two series:

Series I: Customer and correspondence, 1857

Series II: Statements, March 29, 1857 to August 1, 1857

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was transferred from the Strong Museum of Play to the Local History and Genealogy Division of the Rochester Public Library in 2016 [acquisition number 2017.038]