Finding Aids

Alexis I. du Pont (1816-1857) was proprieter of his family business, E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, which began in the manufacture of gunpowder in 1802. He was the youngest child of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834), the founder of the DuPont Company. This collection contains thirteen photographic items, mostly portraits of Alexis I. du Pont and other du Pont family members.

Eleuthère Irénée du Pont (1921-1994) was a descendant of Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739-1817) who founded the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company with his son Eleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834) in 1802. E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont company. This collection consists of graphic materials including a photographic print of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont (1921-1994), booklets, a copy of a photographic print of Johan Andreas Philip Ludwig (1753-1803), the Ludwig family crest and a genealogy of the Pelleport family.

Francis Bannerman Son was a major purveyor of military goods to sportsmen and collectors in New York City over three generations. The collection consists of photographs of Francis Bannerman and his family, including his wife, Helen "Nellie" Boyce Bannerman (1852-1931), and his sons, Francis VII (1873-1946) and David (1875-1957). The collection also includes photographs of Bannerman's Island Arsenal, including images of the 1969 fire in full blaze and its destructive aftermath.

Henry du Pont (1812-1889) was the second son of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834) and senior partner of E.I du Pont de Nemours & Company from 1850 to 1889. The collection consists of materials relating to the descendants of Henry and Louisa Gerhard du Pont. Primarily, the collection consists of portraits and other photographs of their daughters Evelina, Ellen, Louisa, Sara, Victorine, Sophie and other family members.

Karen du Pont Farquhar (1947-) is the great-granddaughter of T. Coleman du Pont (1863-1930), president of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company in the early 20th century. This collection of photographs is part of a larger group of du Pont family papers, which are housed in the Manuscripts and Archives Department. The photograph collection includes many photographs of the du Pont family from 1882 to 1960.

Thomas Lea (1757–1823) joined in partnership with Joseph Tatnall (1740–1813), and passed on the Tatnall-Lea grain mills in Wilmington, Delaware to his son William Lea (1805-1876), who took over operation of the mills in 1837. In 1864, William Lea brought his sons Henry Lea (1839-1888) and Preston Lea (1841-1916) into the firm, changing the name to William Lea & Sons Company. This collection includes portraits of members of the Lea and related families. These include such family names as Tatnall, Warner, Preston, Ferris, Downing, Spruance, Lovett, Moore, Bush, Ely, and others.

Marguerite du Pont Lee (1862-1936) was a descendant of Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739-1817) who founded the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company with his son Eleuthere Irenee du Pont (1771-1834) in 1802. The E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont Company. This small collection consists of four items belonging to Marguerite du Pont Lee. Two individual portraits, a photograph of a gate, and a decorative leaf.

Margaretta “Meta” du Pont Coleman (1862-1938) was a descendant of Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739-1817) who founded the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company with his son Eleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834) in 1802. The E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont company. She collected family portraits while compiling a family genealogy. This collection includes daguerrotypes, tintypes, ambrotypes and other early portrait photographs of various family members.

The Lea family were among the largest flour mill operators at the Brandywine Falls, north of Wilmington, Delaware, since the 1770s, when Thomas Lea (1757–1823) joined in partnership with Joseph Tatnall (1740–1813). The album contains considerable genealogical information on the Lea family, as well as thirty-eight silhouette portraits of members of the Lea and related families. These include family names such as Tatnall, Baily, Bellah, Warner, Pusey, and Rodman.

Pierre Gentieu (1842-1930) was an artist, photographer, and an employee of the DuPont Company for thirty-four years. Pierre Gentieu and his wife, Sarah Albina "Binie" Gentieu (1846-1925) had six children. Although three children had no issue, they had nine grandchildren and twenty great grandchildren. All six children worked for the DuPont Co. and several grandchildren did as well. This collection consists of nine albums that document the Gentieu family history, primarily the life of the patriarch of the family Pierre Gentieu (1842-1930). The albums contain originals and reproductions of correspondence, family trees, documents, photographs, and ephemera.

Henry Disston & Sons, Inc. was a major manufacturer of saws and other woodworking tools and one of the largest industrial firms in Philadelphia. Henry Disston (1819-1878) founded the company in 1855. The firm remained in family control until 1955. This collection consists of a two-volume typescript "The Disston History," a genealogy of the Disston family, and a company history of Henry Disston and Sons, Inc., compiled by family members and genealogist Elizabeth B. Satterthwaite (1856-1948) in 1920. The copy images in the collection include portraits of Disston family members, board members, and employees and interior and exterior images of the Disston Saw Works in Tacony, a suburb of Philadelphia.