GB 0120 WF/C - Cooper McDougall and Robertson Ltd

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0120 WF/C

Title

Cooper McDougall and Robertson Ltd

Date(s)

  • [1824 -1989] (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

310 boxes plus 135 items

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

While Coopers was primarily a veterinary and agricultural products company, it was not entirely so. During the 1950s and 1960s, Coopers became the first firm in Britain to produce aerosols on a large scale, and this fact is mentioned many times in their advertising for such products. They also branched out, for a time, into the production and/or sale of domestic household goods such as cleaners, toilet rolls and hair care products. Not all of these were actually sold under the Coopers name, and some were manufactured by subsidiaries rather than by Coopers themselves.

Archival history

GB 0120 WF/C [1824 -1989] Collection (fonds) 310 boxes plus 135 items Cooper McDougall and Robertson Ltd

While Coopers was primarily a veterinary and agricultural products company, it was not entirely so. During the 1950s and 1960s, Coopers became the first firm in Britain to produce aerosols on a large scale, and this fact is mentioned many times in their advertising for such products. They also branched out, for a time, into the production and/or sale of domestic household goods such as cleaners, toilet rolls and hair care products. Not all of these were actually sold under the Coopers name, and some were manufactured by subsidiaries rather than by Coopers themselves.

See detailed description on the Wellcome Library website

Papers of Cooper McDougall and Robertson Ltd, [1824-1989], including board and subsidiary minute books and meeting papers; secretariat papers and statutory records under the Companies Acts; senior managers' papers (including K J Merrifield and A L McNeilly), including material relating to relations with external bodies and acquisition of companies, and reports on overseas visits; financial records including material relating to salaries; legal records including agreements and papers re litigation, patents and trade marks; research and development papers and some relating to manufacturing; marketing papers, including some operational papers, also company publications, product literature, memorabilia including photographs, films , printed ephemera, accounts of company history and material relating to the Cooper family and company employees; external publications; and objects including company seals; miscellaneous operational records including 1940s complaints register; products; William Cooper's pestle and mortar [now missing], copy of publication, and notebooks, 1859-1880s; company publications; publications from the WF series; veterinary research and development records of the Coopers Technical Bureau including correspondence, reports and experiment results, 1896-1956; correspondence with War Office relating to supplies of veterinary products 1914-1917; dipping experiment tables 1918-1937 and complaints register c 1940-1947.

It appears that the unreferenced material was originally boxed roughly in the order in which it was found, and that this order was disarranged after conservation work was carried out. The material was then put into the crates in which it was then stored, along with some related material. Old crate and box references are known only for material in crates 197-205 and 208.

Most catalogued papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking. UNCATALOGUED MATERIAL IS NOT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. The following items are subject to closure:

WF/C/S/06/03

WF/C/S/08/02

WF/C/S/08/03

WF/C/S/15/12

WF/C/S/15/13

WF/C/S/18/03

WF/C/S/24/01

WF/C/S/25/01

The following item is subject to restrictions:

WF/C/S/17/10

Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.

English

Detailed guide to finding aids available at the Wellcome Library.

See Acc 87/97 in box WGA 302 (note in attached guide to finding aids) NB THIS ITEM NOT YET CATALOGUED, PLEASE ENQUIRE

Associated material retained by GSK: Acc 99/2, Acc 99/6 pt, Acc 99/52 and Acc 99/60 among post-1995 accessions to the Glaxo Wellcome Heritage Archives (now held by GSK).

As at 2001, the Scottish Life Archive, Royal Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, had a few items produced by Coopers (advertising material) - W.MS.1997.722/57.

A few items relating to Coopers are held by the Berkhamsted Local History Society.

A number of relevant records are held at Rural History Centre, University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 229, Reading RG6 6AG:

Leaflets, pamphlets, labels and stationery samples 1880s-1920s; rival firms' advertisements, posters and leaflets 1880s-90s; press cuttings c.1889-1905; company publication re agricultural depression 1896; testimonials 1908-16; posters advertising sheep dips for home and overseas markets 1913-17; articles re company history 1960, 1972; annual review 1987; company brochure c 1980s; Coopers International News 1987-89. [Refs: TR CMR/AC7/1; P1/B1; P2/A-B; P3/A-B1; P4/1-4; P8-9; SP1]

Edited for AIM25 by Sarah Drewery.

In compliance with ISAD (G): General International Standard Archival Description - 2nd Edition (1999); UNESCO Thesaurus, December 2001; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

May 2008 Veterinary drugs Medical sciences Veterinary medicine Cooper McDougall & Robertson Ltd Pharmaceutical preparations

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

See detailed description on the Wellcome Library website

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of Cooper McDougall and Robertson Ltd, [1824-1989], including board and subsidiary minute books and meeting papers; secretariat papers and statutory records under the Companies Acts; senior managers' papers (including K J Merrifield and A L McNeilly), including material relating to relations with external bodies and acquisition of companies, and reports on overseas visits; financial records including material relating to salaries; legal records including agreements and papers re litigation, patents and trade marks; research and development papers and some relating to manufacturing; marketing papers, including some operational papers, also company publications, product literature, memorabilia including photographs, films , printed ephemera, accounts of company history and material relating to the Cooper family and company employees; external publications; and objects including company seals; miscellaneous operational records including 1940s complaints register; products; William Cooper's pestle and mortar [now missing], copy of publication, and notebooks, 1859-1880s; company publications; publications from the WF series; veterinary research and development records of the Coopers Technical Bureau including correspondence, reports and experiment results, 1896-1956; correspondence with War Office relating to supplies of veterinary products 1914-1917; dipping experiment tables 1918-1937 and complaints register c 1940-1947.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

It appears that the unreferenced material was originally boxed roughly in the order in which it was found, and that this order was disarranged after conservation work was carried out. The material was then put into the crates in which it was then stored, along with some related material. Old crate and box references are known only for material in crates 197-205 and 208.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Most catalogued papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking. UNCATALOGUED MATERIAL IS NOT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. The following items are subject to closure:

WF/C/S/06/03

WF/C/S/08/02

WF/C/S/08/03

WF/C/S/15/12

WF/C/S/15/13

WF/C/S/18/03

WF/C/S/24/01

WF/C/S/25/01

The following item is subject to restrictions:

WF/C/S/17/10

Conditions governing reproduction

Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

See Acc 87/97 in box WGA 302 (note in attached guide to finding aids) NB THIS ITEM NOT YET CATALOGUED, PLEASE ENQUIRE

Associated material retained by GSK: Acc 99/2, Acc 99/6 pt, Acc 99/52 and Acc 99/60 among post-1995 accessions to the Glaxo Wellcome Heritage Archives (now held by GSK).

As at 2001, the Scottish Life Archive, Royal Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, had a few items produced by Coopers (advertising material) - W.MS.1997.722/57.

A few items relating to Coopers are held by the Berkhamsted Local History Society.

A number of relevant records are held at Rural History Centre, University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 229, Reading RG6 6AG:

Leaflets, pamphlets, labels and stationery samples 1880s-1920s; rival firms' advertisements, posters and leaflets 1880s-90s; press cuttings c.1889-1905; company publication re agricultural depression 1896; testimonials 1908-16; posters advertising sheep dips for home and overseas markets 1913-17; articles re company history 1960, 1972; annual review 1987; company brochure c 1980s; Coopers International News 1987-89. [Refs: TR CMR/AC7/1; P1/B1; P2/A-B; P3/A-B1; P4/1-4; P8-9; SP1]

Finding aids

Detailed guide to finding aids available at the Wellcome Library.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Wellcome Library

Rules and/or conventions used

In compliance with ISAD (G): General International Standard Archival Description - 2nd Edition (1999); UNESCO Thesaurus, December 2001; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area