Historical Collections
R.G. Dun & Co. Collection
Founded in 1841 by Lewis Tappan, the Mercantile Agency—later known as R.G. Dun & Co.—was the first commercial reporting agency in America and dominated the field well into the twentieth century. These volumes contain a wealth of business history information on hundreds of American communities during the period 1841—1892.
The sources of the company's evaluations were its local correspondents who prepared credit reports on businessmen and women. By the early 1850s, the firm employed 2,000 correspondents throughout the U.S. and Canada. At least twice a year, credit reports were sent to Dun's New York City office where they were entered in large ledger books, arranged by state and county. Dun & Bradstreet donated these volumes to Baker Library in 1962.
The R.G. Dun & Co. Collection consists of 2,580 volumes of handwritten credit reports on individuals and firms from the United States, the western territories, Canada, and the West Indies. Entries include information on the duration of the business, net worth, sources of wealth, and the character and reputation of the owners, their partners, and successors.
Access Information
The collection is open to all visitors who are engaged in scholarly research. Because of our limited staff and preservation concerns, the collection is not available for genealogical research.
Researchers must read and sign an application, which states the terms for using and citing the collection. Receipt of a signed paper copy is required before access will be granted.
Finding Resources
Use the guide to the R.G. Dun & Co. Collection to identify volumes relevant to your research project.
Common Abbreviations used in the R.G. Dun & Co. credit reports. Please review this list prior to visiting the Reading Room, to maximize your on-site research time.
Services
Historical Collections reference staff can conduct limited searches for business or individual names in the R.G. Dun & Co. index volumes. Due to their fragile condition, R.G. Dun & Co. volumes may not be photocopied. Due to donor restrictions, materials from the R.G. Gun & Co. Collection are not eligible for self service digital photography.Planning a Visit
Contact Historical Collections