Scope and arrangement
The Edward Livingston papers (1850s-1920s) document the finances and social life of an upper class New York City family in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection contains personal and business records of Edward Livingston and personal records of his family, including his siblings John and Fanny Livingston, his aunt Cornelia Lansing, and his son and daughter, Edward and Clarisse Livingston.
Livingston's business correspondence concerns his investments and related legal matters. Subjects of the correspondence include Shelby Iron Company stock, Detroit Steel and Spring Company stock, lawyer's fees for the litigation of Jesup v. Carnegie, and terms of an agreement regarding ownership of land in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Business records include partnership agreements between Livingston, Charles L. Perkins, Henry A.V. Post, and Francis Vose, dating from 1858 to 1880. The collection contains account books of Perkins, Livingston & Co. and Perkins, Livingston & Post, dating from 1870 to 1889. The account books record the firms' expenses, investments in railroad stocks and bonds, and purchases and sales of railroad materials. Accounts represented include the Canada Southern Railway Company, the East Alabama & Cincinnati Railroad Company, the New York & Oswego Midland Railroad Company, and Welsh company Guest & Company, whose railroad materials were imported by Livingston's firm. Account books for Livingston's Bank of New York account are also present.
The collection contains family letters, most of which are to John Livingston from his sister, Fanny S. Livingston, and his aunt, Cornelia Lansing. The letters discuss topics such as family members' health, visits from friends, parties given by mutual acquaintances, and other social and family news. Transcriptions of four of Fanny Livingston's letters are present. One letter to Edward Livingston is also present, as is an undated letter he wrote concerning membership in the Society of the Cincinnati.
The collection also contains calling cards and wedding invitations and announcements, many from prominent members of New York society, dating from the 1890s to the 1920s. Invitations are addressed to Edward and Clarisse Livingston.
The household expenses of Edward Livingston and his children are documented through receipts and invoices from New York City businesses. Invoices are for items such as stationery, clothing, housewares, and hardware, as well as for services and club memberships. Business cards, sales notices, and fliers are also present. A small account book contains a record of a trust Livingston's established for his children.
There are a small number of photographs; they depict Edward Livingston, his children, and Cornelia Lansing.
Arrangement
The collection is divided between Business Records and Family Papers. Within the family papers, Invoices and Receipts are arranged alphabetically by business name, and Invitations, Announcements, and Calling Cards are arranged alphabetically by surname.