Robert Graham Dun (1826 - 1900)

Born 7 Aug 1826 in Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio, USA

Ancestors

Died 10 Nov 1900 at age 74 in New York, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA

Biography

Financier.

In 1861 he opened a credit-rating firm, "R.G. Dun and Company", with many branches across the nation. His company was one of the first to use office machinery, including the typewriter. On this machine he wrote his weekly "Dun's Review", assessing the international business condition. The firm merged to form Dun and Bradstreet, one of the well-known credit-rating and financial services publishing firms in the country.

Dunmere is a historic estate at 560 Ocean Road in Narragansett, Rhode Island. The estate, which originally included a 3-1/2 story Queen Anne/Stick style residence, gate house, and other buildings, was designed by John M. Merrick and was built in 1883. Dunmere was commissioned by Robert G. Dun (of Dun and Bradstreet fame) and served as his summer home until his death. It consisted of 13 acres with 500 feet of ocean frontage. Major buildings included the main home, located close to the ocean, The Gardener's Cottage, located atop the hill, overlooking the property, the stable and the impressive stone archyway, traversing Dunmere's entrance gates. In addition to a mosaic swimming pool and vast gardens, Dunmere featured a pond on the waterfront, man-made from an unsightly swamp at the same location. Following a massive and all-engulfing fire of the main house, the property has since been split into three residential properties. Only the Gardener's Cottage and entrance gates remain standing today.

Dun & Bradstreet traces its origin to Tappan-183 Lewis Tappan, who in 1841 left Arthur Tappan & Company (a New York silk trading firm that he ran with his elder brother) to found a credit information bureau called the Mercantile Agency.

The Mercantile Agency opened branch offices in Boston in 1843 and Philadelphia in 1845. In 1846 Benjamin Douglass, a young New York businessman with connections in the southern cotton trade, joined the firm. When Lewis Tappan retired in 1849, Douglass and Tappan's brother, Arthur, ran it as partners until 1854, when the elder Tappan sold out to Douglass. Then, in 1859, Douglass sold out to Robert Graham Dun, who immediately changed the firm's name to R.G. Dun & Company.

Collector, merchant, financial services broker, head of Dun Mercantile Agencies, senior partner of the firm of R.G. Dun & Co., a founder of Dun and Bradstreet.

Dun bequeathed 25 paintings to the Metropolitan Art Museum, they included Daubigny's "The Marsh," 1858, Bouguereau's "The Admiration of Cupid," 1899, and other works by Rousseau, Rosa Bonheur, Cazin, Troyon, Gérôme, Paul Potter, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Auguste Bonheur, and Corot. Dun’s collection also included work by Firmin Gerard, Gabrial Max, Lambert, Brascasset, Monchablon, Veyrasset, David col, Sirgreste, Lesrel, and Van Marcke (New York Times, 12/2/1900).

According to The Art Treasures of America, Dun owned works by E. A. Abbey, E. Accard, E. Adam, L. Alvarez, M. Arnouz, Aug. Bonheur, A. de Boucherville, G. H. Boughton, F. A. Bridgman, A. Casanova, G. di Chierico, D. Col, J. Coomans, P. A. Cot, A. Couder, L. Dansart. G. Detti, Firmin Girard, H. Hirtl, C. Fils Kuwasseg, F. Leyendecker, K. J. Litschauer, A. Martinetti, E. Meisel, J. G. Meyer von Bremen, V. Palmaroli, A. E. Plassan, Pio. Ricci, J. Rozier, L. Vautier, E. Verboekhoven, Paul Vernon, J. G. Vibert, F. Voltz, Edm. Wagner, and J. Worms.

Sources

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14779588

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dun_%26_Bradstreet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunmere_(Narragansett,_Rhode_Island)

http://research.frick.org/directoryweb/browserecord.php?-action=browse&-recid=6322

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/the-dun-bradstreet-corporation-history/

http://www.cookehouse.com/familygroup.php?familyID=F261&tree=CFH