The Business School Historical Society has recently acquired a set of old books and records which belonged to Russell and Company, importers and exporters, of Boston and Canton. This collection, which is composed of about a dozen old books and a package of old letters, has considerable value, both from a business viewpoint, and an historical one.

The books are mostly filled with records, listing sales and accounts in general, of this company, which did much business in importation, especially of liquors, for the Chinese of the city of Canton. These books have been rotting because of the ravages of white ants, and those of worms. Some of the leaves are filled with the tiny holes made by the destroyers. The one of the books in the worst condition has about half of its cover eaten away, while the remainder is perforated with the holes left by the little beasts. The pages and sheets of the volume are in equally bad condition, being almost half destroyed in some cases. One of the interesting insertions in the consignment book is labeled: "Invoice of champagne elder shipped on steamer Klu Klang to Canton..."

The letters in the collection were sent originally from Boston to the offices of Russell in Canton; then collected and stored there for the sixty odd years since they were written. The majority of dates lie in the period of the seventies, when the affairs of the company were at their height.