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COLLECTION Identifier: Mss:61 1848-1899 P888

Powers and Weightman records

Overview

Ledgers, daybook, building books, and account of stock of a chemical manufacturer of Philadelphia with a laboratory at Schuylkill Falls, Pennsylvania.

Dates

  • Creation: 1848-1899

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Materials stored offsite; access requires advance notice. Contact specialcollectionsref@hbs.edu for more information.

Extent

2 linear feet (10 volumes)

Ledgers, daybook, building books, and account of stock.

Biographical / Historical

Powers and Weightman was a chemical manufacturer with a laboratory at Schuylkill Falls, Pennsylvania. The company succeeded the firm of John Farr and Company in 1848. William Weightman and his uncle John Farr, were partners in the firm. When John Farr died in 1847, Weightman became an administrator and executive of the business, which was renamed Powers and Weightman, chemical manufacturers. Powers and Weightman developed a synthetic form of quinine, a prophylaxis for malaria. With importation of British quinine cut off during the Civil War, the company profited greatly through a quasi monopoly. The company merged with Merck & Co. in 1927.

Physical Location

MANU

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Merck and Company, 1940.

Related Materials

For records of the firm's predecessor see, John Farr & Company records

Processing Information

Processed: October 2018 By: Baker Library Special Collections Staff

Title
Powers and Weightman. Powers and Weightman Records, 1848-1899
Author
Baker Library
Description rules
dacs
Language of description
und
EAD ID
bak00628

Repository Details

Part of the Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School Repository

Baker Library Special Collections and Archives holds unique resources that focus on the evolution of business and industry, as well as the records of the Harvard Business School, documenting the institution's development over the last century. These rich and varied collections support research in a diverse range of fields such as business, economic, social and cultural history as well as the history of science and technology.

Contact:
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