Moses A. Dropsie account books, 1840-1848. Volume 2.

Name:

Dropsie, Moses A. (Moses Aaron), 1821-1905

Timespan:

19th century

Date:

1840

Description:

These volumes comprise account books kept by Moses A. Dropsie of Philadelphia spanning the years from 1840 to 1848. The volumes were kept by Dropsie during his early career as a watchmaker. Each volume is arranged chronologically. Volume 1 spans the years from 1840 to 1847. A chronological account of daily sales, cleaning, and repairs of clocks, watches, and jewelry was entered in the volume. Recorded for each entry was the name of each customer, service provided and amount paid. Several leaves at the end of the volume are blank. On the cover of Volume 1 is a sketch of a man's face in black ink. Volume 2 spans the years from 1841 to 1847. This volume comprises Dropsie's personal and business accounts. Volume 2 is arranged chronologically on hand-numbered pages 1-262. The account book recorded Dropsie's credit and debit. Generally the credits appear on the rectos and debits on the versos. The accounts include family, merchandise, and suppliers. Headings for some accounts include: Edward Deschamps, Erasmus P. Pratt, Mother/my acct., Nathan Haas, Profit & Loss, Stock/Cash, Theodore Dubosq. One leaf at the end of Volume 2 reads: List of purchases and their places of residence. Written inside the back cover: Elizabeth Dropsie. Written on front cover: A. M.; A. Dropsie. Three fragments are laid in the volume. Page 1 is detached. Covers are detached.

Identifier:

2006.12.26.00884

Language:

English

Provenance:

Presented to the Penn Libraries 2012 by Arnold and Deanne Kaplan (Collectify accession no. 2006.12.26.00804).; Kaplan, Arnold Harvey, 1939- donor.; Kaplan, Deanne, donor.

Relation:

Digital facsimile for browsing v.1 (Colenda): https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3k06x70v

Subject:

Dropsie, Moses A. (Moses Aaron), 1821-1905; Jews -- Pennsylvania -- Philadephia -- History -- Sources; Account books -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- 19th century -- Specimens; Account books; Jews; History

Resource Type:

Text

Form/Genre:

Codices (bound manuscripts); Account books; Manuscripts, American; Specimens; Sources; manuscripts (documents)

Physical Description:

v.2 of 2

Geographic Subject:

Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia; Pennsylvania

Rights:

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Notes:

A Philadelphia lawyer, businessman, and philanthropist who was the eldest of four children born to Angeniet Engel, an American Christian and Aaron Moses, a Dutch Jewish immigrant. Dropsie's siblings included a brother Gabriel and two sisters Elizabeth and Eshter. Dropsie converted to Judaism at the age of fourteen along with his brother and his sister Elizabeth. He apprenticed and worked as a watchmaker and in the jewelry business until the age of twenty-eight. Dropsie then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1851. He had a successful practice and worked in the development of the Philadelphia railway system. Dropsie also published several books including edited translations on Roman Law and a biography of Isaac Lesser. His commitment to Jewish education led to Dropsie to become president of Maimonides College from 1867 to 1873 and president of Gratz College from its founding in 1893. Dropsie never married and lived with his brother Gabriel and sister Elizabeth Lazarus and her children. At his death in 1905, Dropsie bequeathed a large portion of his estate to establish a college dedicated to Hebrew and Cognate languages and literature. The result was the formation of Dropsie College now the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies.

Physical Location:

MS 56, Codex 033.1 v.2

Collection:

Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Collection of Early American Judaica (University of Pennsylvania)