Hermann Gerhard Brenninkmeijer (1850–1906), author of this handwritten history of C&A in Dutch, was the eldest son of Clemens Brenninkmeijer (1818–1902). The latter had founded the company in 1841 together with his brother August (1819–1892). On fifty-six pages, Hermann Gerhard sets out what he considers to be the most significant facts about the development of the family business—from its founding to the writing of the chronicle shortly before his death in 1906. He begins with a geographical description of the first business location in Sneek and then outlines the preferred trading areas in the Dutch province of Friesland and neighboring regions. During the first decades of their textile trade, the brothers still largely operated their business by visiting customers at home. This only changed with the opening of the first store in 1860, which had extended opening hours. In addition to the chronology of events in the company’s history, such as the opening of stores in neighboring Leeuwarden in 1881 and the move to the big city of Amsterdam in 1893, Hermann Gerhard also notes anecdotes and maxims from everyday business life. In this way, lessons from the past were to be passed on to future generations. 
This includes the advice not to allow stocks to grow excessively, the warning against speculative transactions, and the request not to be gullible and to check everything conscientiously. The company founders Clemens and August Brenninkmeijer are described in terms of their appearance and character traits. The professional careers of the second generation of entrepreneurs are listed along with a family tree.