Letter Book of Francis S. Cantrell, Philadelphia, 1892-1897.
Gilded Age Philadelphia: The 1890s Letter Book of Francis S. Cantrell, Esq. [Manuscript]. Cantrell, Francis S. [1844-1914]. Cantrell, Francis S., Jr. [1872-1946]. [Letter Book of the Law Offices of Francis S. Cantrell]. [Philadelphia], 1892-1897. [xxvi], 234, 245-500 blank ff. Quarto (11-3/4" x 9-1/2"; 29.7 x 24.2 cm). Contemporary quarter sheep over pebbled cloth; gilt-stamped "Letter Book" to spine. [xxvi], 234 ff. of text (clerical hands), followed by approx. 260 blank ff. Preceded by a thumb-tabbed alphabetical index. Heavy wear to binding with boards separating (though still secured); index leaves detached or loosening. Spine shows significant abrasion. Internally, occasional faint dampstaining and ink blotting, with some letters faint or illegible; however, the majority of the 234 populated leaves remain clear and readable. $750. * This letter book provides a detailed primary-source record of a multi-generational Philadelphia legal practice during the Gilded Age. Francis S. Cantrell, a University of Pennsylvania Law alumnus and officer of the Manayunk Trust Co., operated at the intersection of law and local finance. The correspondence predominantly covers estate law, conveyancing (property transfers), and trust management-the "bread and butter" of a late-19th-century Philadelphia lawyer. With his son, Francis Jr., joining the practice during this period, the book captures a firm in transition, offering insights into the daily mechanics of urban property law and the financial networks of turn-of-the-century Pennsylvania.
Price: $750.00
Book number 85992