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 Summary:
This intriguing letter was penned by William A. Pinkerton, the second-generation family member who ran the famous agency from 1907 until his death in 1923. A missive, dated May 13, 1871 and written in clear, cursive script on a ledger sheet-backed, 7-3/4" x 9-1/8" page of the company's ornate letterhead, references a file clipping from the Pinkerton archives that was being sent to a St. Louis police superintendent. The letter is signed, " W.A. Pinkerton," in neatly scripted fountain pen ink (grading "8-9"). A particularly rare artifact, the letter is one of the few items of Pinkerton correspondence that survived the devastating Chicago Fire of October 8, 1871, a catastrophic event that destroyed the bulk of the company's paperwork. This is an exceptional piece, a relic that visually recalls the earliest days of a business that became an American institution. Inventory# 20118 $1,000 Historical Background
"Pinkerton's National Detective Agency," as the modern-day Pinkerton's, Inc. was then known, is the subject of voluminous lore in the annals of law enforcement. The concern is credited with pioneering steps in surveillance technique, record-keeping, and generally methodical and refined tactics in fighting crime.
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