Brothers 'Document' History by Tracking Down Historical Documen

Among the treasure trove of historical papers that adorns the walls of the Raab Collection's new [Philadelphia] Center City office are: a letter from King George IV to Czar Alexander I; another from General George Washington to one of his spies; and the executive order signed by President William McKinley appointing Jacob Trieber to the federal bench, the first Jew to achieve the position. And that's just the beginning.

The Raab Collection, which moved last month from Ardmore to Center City, is a family business that deals in historical letters, autographs and documents, often acting as the conduit between buyer and seller. The business made headlines last month when it facilitated the sale of more than 140 letters written by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to his brother Edgar to a private collector who founded the Web site Americanhistory.org.