The Raab Collection

The Raab Collection, “The Renowned Philadelphia Historical Document Dealer”

The Raab Collection is in its third decade as an internationally recognized name in historical autographs, having appeared on virtually every major national network as an expert in historical documents, their discovery, and their authenticity and helped to build many of the countries great collections.  In 2012, the Archivist of the United States thanked The Raab Collection for its ongoing work of historical discovery.

Founded by attorney and author Steven Raab as an outlet for his love of history, it became a family business when his sons Nathan and Jonas joined. The Raab Collection specializes in seeking out and bringing to life important pieces in history, and has been instrumental in helping build some of the great autograph and manuscript collections in the country. It counts among its clients many of the great collecting institutions, among them the Library of Congress and the British Library.  Moreover, it has represented the families of famous Americans, including Thomas Jefferson, Dwight Eisenhower and Gerald Ford, in the sale and preservation of their most significant historical documents.

Among the families we’ve worked with are those of:

Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, Thomas Jefferson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Knox Polk, Andrew Jackson, Several Prominent Senators and Members of the House of Representatives, Many others

Steven Raab is a noted lecturer and writer on the subject of historical autographs, and is a founding member of the Professional Autograph Dealers Association. He and Jonas are the authors of the definitive book on historical autographs, In the Presence of History.  Nathan Raab is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and is currently the Secretary and Chair of the Committee on Nominations.  He is also a regular guest contributor to Forbes.com.  The Raab Collection has frequently been called upon by the media to serve as a source and resource, having appeared on CNN and CNBC, and in the Wall Street Journal, Business Week and the New York Times, among many other venues.

Raab Collection documents are often on display in institutions nationwide, most recently with loans to the National Constitution Center, the National Museum of American Jewish History, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library.  In 2008 the Raab Collection created the historical exhibit inside the Democratic National Convention in Denver, the first of its kind.

Building a legacy

We will help you not only build a collection but create a legacy that you can share with your family and the world.  In addition to offering our clients access to the most important historical documents, we help connect them institutions nationwide, if they choose.  Our clients have loaned or will loan their documents to: The National Constitution Center; The National Jewish Museum; Mount Vernon; The Heinz History Center; The Lincoln Museum; The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library; others.

Customer Satisfaction and Guaranty Policy

Every item purchased from us is guaranteed to be authentic, without time limit, to the original purchaser. Moreover, we want you to be satisfied, so except as follows, any item purchased from us may be returned (in the same condition as received) for a full refund within five days of receipt. This return privilege does not apply to layaways, or where, to accommodate a customer, we have deferred shipping for longer than two weeks after purchase.