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Library of Congress Research Guides

Wall Street and the Stock Exchanges: Historical Resources

The selection of resources included in this guide are intended for those researching the history of Wall Street and includes resources for those interested in researching the history of the various American stock exchanges.

Introduction

This is a series of drawn images the central image is a view down wall street to Trinity Church in the background; on the left at the top is a dining party, the center is a man standing at the counter of a dry goods sore with the clerk behind the counter, and the bottom is two plutocrats talking with one lounging in a chair smoking a cigar while the other in a top hat and coat hands him money; on the right the tup shows an older man toasting a woman in a plumed hat both celebrating, the second shows them glumly sitting at a dining table, the next shows an older man speaking to an office boy Jimmy, the bottom shows three men sitting on the steps eating lunch all wearing suits and hats
Henry Mayer, artist. Wall Street and the nouveau poor. 1914. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

While Wall Street started as a street in lower Manhattan in the 17th century, today the term has come to mean more. Now it refers to the businesses directly related to stock exchanges and the financial markets, and even more broadly, big business and investing in the United States.

In this guide you will find items that look at the history of Wall Street. Also, given the importance of the specific stock exchanges, we have also included some general titles as well as material that will look at several of the larger exchanges including the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, and the NASDAQ. We have included older items which can provide a different perspective on Wall Street than we have now, by providing insight into how previous generations viewed Wall Street.

 

This new research guide was developed from and replaces three previously published web guides:
  • History of the NASDAQ and American Stock Exchanges
  • History of the New York Stock Exchange
  • History of Wall Street: Selected References

About the Business Section

Part of the Science & Business Reading Room at the Library of Congress, the Business Section is the starting point for conducting research at the Library of Congress in the subject areas of business and economics. Here, reference specialists in specific subject areas of business assist patrons in formulating search strategies and gaining access to the information and materials contained in the Library's rich collections of business and economics materials.

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