Collection inventory


Special Collections home page


Alexander Lorman Travel Journal

A description of the item at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: MRC
Date: 28 Jun 2010



Biographical History

William Lorman (1764-1841) was an important businessman in Baltimore, Maryland, with interests in shipping, stagecoaches, railroad, and various mercantile endeavors. He was a member of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad’s first board of directors, president of the Chamber of Commerce, first president of the Gas and Light Company of Baltimore and president of the Bank of Baltimore.

The Alexander Lorman of the journal was most likely his son (1795-1872). References to Baltimore shipping, in letters copied into the back pages of the journal, suggest that Lorman was a member of the shipping firm William Lorman & Son. One of the letters, addressed to Messrs Kulenkamp & Son of Bremen, alerts them that "our House William Lorman & Son" shipped to them, via the Clara, a number of goods including tea, rhubarb, flour and tobacco; the ship put in at Sicily after plundering by Spanish pirates. Other letters mention voyages to Madras for cotton and to Sumatra for coffee and peppers. The journey recounted in the travel journal, however, appears to be a leisurely one and not directly business-related.


Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Alexander Lorman Travel Journal recounts the writer's journey from London to Paris in the fall of 1818. The writer describes the countryside, conditions of travel, places of historical interest, conditions of the towns, agriculture, border-crossing procedures, soldiers observed in the towns, and many other observations. He also mentions his traveling companions Taylor, Shepherd and Peabody.

In the back of the journal are some pages bearing copies of letters sent from Lorman to various customer of William Lorman & Son.


Arrangement of the Collection

Single item.


Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.


Subject Headings

Persons

Lorman, Alexander.
Lorman, William, d. 1841 or 2.

Subjects

Travelers -- Europe -- Diaries.

Places

England -- Description and travel.
Europe -- Description and travel.
France -- Description and travel.

Genres and Forms

Diaries.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Alexander Lorman Travel Journal,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Richard N. Wright, Onondaga Historical Society, 1974.


Table of Contents

Diaries


Inventory