Hagley collects, preserves, and interprets the history of American business. From 18th-century merchants to 21st-century global corporations, we cover every part of the story. Our collections highlight innovation and tradition, growth and stability, success and setbacks, and both the big institutions and the people behind them.
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Chemical and gunpowder industries
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Synthesize the story of DuPont, from its 1802 beginnings as a small mill on the Brandywine River to a multi-national chemical colossus. Hagley holds vast records from the firm and many individuals who played a role in its history. |
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Energy industry |
Power up the history of energy production. Hagley’s collections cover many big players, including:
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Finance and banking industry |
Invest in the history of mid-Atlantic economic life with Hagley's collections. These are some of the financial players represented:
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Textile and leather industries |
Stitch the story of economic development in the Mid-Atlantic states. Explore the records of Joseph Bancroft & Sons (cotton cloth and textile finishing), E.C. Beetem and Son (carpets), J.E. Rhoads Sons, Inc. (leather), and the Amalgamated Leather Companies. With oral histories, hear first-hand accounts from former employees of DuPont's Textile Fibers. |
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Retail and consumer product industries |
Shop through Hagley collections from a wide variety of retailers and manufacturers. Find an even more in our extensive trade catalog and trade journal collections. A few companies represented include:
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| Construction industry |
Build a history of construction via Hagley collections. We have material from John McShain, a major Philadelphia and Washington, DC-based contractor. Other records are from DuPont Engineering and the Associated General Contractors of America. |
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| Iron and steel industry |
Extract the story of iron and steel. Hagley has large collections from Lukens, Bethlehem, and the American Iron and Steel Institute. Manufacture metal production history with collections. We have collections from Westinghouse (turbines), Vulcan Iron (locomotives), Sun (ships), and Phoenix (bridges). |
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| Small business |
Hagley captures the voices, photographs, records, and publications of individuals and small businesses. Delve into the stories of:
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U.S. Chamber of Commerce salutes American business, circa 1970 (Acc. 1993.230). |
Research guidesLearn more about our collections relating to business history.
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Explore FurtherSelected digital resources related to business history at Hagley.
DuPont Company on the Brandywine Avon Historical Archive at the Hagley Library Delaware’s Industrial Brandywine 100 Years of Picturing the Nation’s Business
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Articles of agreement organizing a manufactory of gunpowder in the United States, what was to become the DuPont Company, English translation, 1801 April 21 (Acc. 0501). |
Top image credits (left to right): "Fuel from the Depths," Reading Co. anthracite coal miner, 1935 (Acc. 1980.318). Miss Edna Smith, machine operator at Westinghouse Electric Corp. Steam Division, 1919 (Acc. 1969.170). Dr. Wallace H. Carothers with his invention, neoprene, at DuPont, circa 1932 (Acc. 1972.341). "United We Win" World War II poster by U.S. War Manpower Commission, 1943 (Acc. 1995. 211).