The sample documents used here include a shipping receipt, a manifest and cargo report, an invoice of imported sundry goods, and an order for goods, from Garret's Manhattan importing business, and an account of pig iron received at Brookland Forge from another foundry as well as a description of Brookland, as part of Garret's New Jersey business.
Each of these documents is on laid paper that was typical for the day; on each document, the ink used is iron gall. Garret Rapalje was not the scribe on any of these documents (save his mark found on the invoice of imported goods), and there are at least four different professional scripts represented in the documents. As is not uncommon for centuries-old manuscripts, much of these documents are damaged and even unreadable in places. Take a look at the manuscripts; can you understand what they say? |