William B. Astor (William Backhouse Astor, 1792-1875) was the son of German-born fur-trader, financier, and real estate investor John Jacob Astor (1763-1848). The William B. Astor papers, 1826-1931 (bulk 1826-1890), contain legal, financial, and...
more
William B. Astor (William Backhouse Astor, 1792-1875) was the son of German-born fur-trader, financier, and real estate investor John Jacob Astor (1763-1848). The William B. Astor papers, 1826-1931 (bulk 1826-1890), contain legal, financial, and property records relating to Astor's personal estate and its distribution after his death, as well as four photographic images of Astor family members and properties. Also present are business papers held by his uncle Henry Astor (1754-1833) as principal investor and later treasurer of the New York Association, which created and owned the New York Theatre (later the Bowery Theatre) in New York City; William B. Astor inherited Henry Astor's assets in the venture when the latter died in 1833. The business papers provide significant details on the construction and decoration of the first iteration of the New York Theatre, its reconstruction after a fire in 1828, properties used to stage productions, and its financial management. The collection also contains some loose letters and documents.
less