The Color Association of the United States (CAUS) was organized on February 19, 1915 as the Textile Color Card Association (TCCA) for the purpose of standardizing colors for the textile trade. Their records include minutes; reports; staff and membership files; publications; advertisements; cloth samples; seasonal bulletins; and color cards. Color standardization services for the government and various industries are documented as well.

The Hercules Powder Co. was one of companies created from the break up of the E.I. du Pont de Nemours "powder trust" in 1911 as ruled by a U.S. Supreme Court decision. The Laflin and Rand Powder Company, one of the largest gunpowder manufacturers in the nineteenth century, was formed from several predecessor companies, including the Laflin Powder Company and the Smith & Rand Powder Company. This collection consists of a Hercules Powder Company calendar from 1919 and an undated illustration from a company calendar. There are also reproductions of a group of three different display card advertisements for Laflin & Rand Powder Company, probably for point-of-sale or counter display.

William H. Horstmann & Co. was a manufacturer and retailer of civilian and military equipment. The material is primarily receipts, a small amount of correspondence related to inspection of goods or contracts, and a newspaper clipping of an engraving of the Horstmann's Manufactory.