Legacy Finding Aid for Manuscript and Photograph Collections 801 K Street NW Washington, D.C. 20001 What are Finding Aids? Finding aids are narrative guides to archival collections created by the repository to describe the contents of the material. They often provide much more detailed information than can be found in individual catalog records. Contents of finding aids often include short biographies or histories, processing notes, information about the size, scope, and material types included in the collection, guidance on how to navigate the collection, and an index to box and folder contents. What are Legacy Finding Aids? The following document is a legacy finding aid – a guide which has not been updated recently. Information may be outdated, such as the Historical Society’s contact information or exact box numbers for contents’ location within the collection. Legacy finding aids are a product of their times; language and terms may not reflect the Historical Society’s commitment to culturally sensitive and anti-racist language. This guide is provided in “as is” condition for immediate use by the public. This file will be replaced with an updated version when available. To learn more, please Visit DCHistory.org Email the Kiplinger Research Library at [email protected] (preferred) Call the Kiplinger Research Library at 202-516-1363 ext. 302 The Historical Society of Washington, D.C., is a community-supported educational and research organization that collects, interprets, and shares the history of our nation’s capital. Founded in 1894, it serves a diverse audience through its collections, public programs, exhibits, and publications. THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, D.C. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS FINDING AID Title: MS 542 Woodward and Lothrop, (W&L), 1873 - 1995 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………...2 SERIES I: HISTORY ..................................................................................................................... 8 SERIES II: PERSONNEL AND EMPLOYMENT RECORDS ................................................... 9 SERIES III: BUSINESS AND MARKETING ........................................................................... 12 SERIES IV: TWENTY YEAR CLUB ........................................................................................ 16 SERIES V: WOODLOTHIAN .................................................................................................... 19 SERIES VI: SUBURBAN STORES ........................................................................................... 20 SERIES VII: ADVERTISEMENTS AND CATALOGS ............................................................ 23 SERIES VIII: EPHEMERA ......................................................................................................... 29 SERIES IX: NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES, Photocopies, 1873-1984 ........... 31 SERIES X: PHOTOGRAPHS and AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS ........................................... 32 CONTAINER 31, Bound Volumes .............................................................................................. 42 OVERSIZE MATERIALS ........................................................................................................... 42 1 THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, D.C. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS FINDING AID Title: MS 542 WOODWARD AND LOTHROP, (W&L), 1873 - 1995 Processor: Marianne Gill, Angela Watts, Anders Thorstenson, Elizabeth Claps Herve M Daumba, Lyle Cervenka, Stephanie Mullins, and Marian Johnson. Date: September 2008, updated August 2009 INTRODUCTION: Woodward and Lothrop, “Woodies” was a Washington, D.C. family owned retail store located at 10th & 11th streets between F and G street, NW, D.C. Founders Samuel Walter Woodward (1848-1917) and Alvin Mason Lothrop (1847-1912), opened a dry goods store in Chelsea, Massachusetts in 1873, with 6 clerks. Seeking a larger market in 1880, they moved to Washington, D.C. and established the Boston House, Woodward, Lothrop, and Cochran, at 705 Market Space, NW, D.C. Five years later, they moved to a 4 story building at 921 Pennsylvania Avenue. Walter wrote the ads, convincing the Washington Star to change the ads daily, from the usual practice of every two weeks. They also initiated the practice of returning merchandise, a one price system, and in 1894 a “Friday Bargain Day.” In 1886 they relocated to the Carlisle Building at 11th and F Street, NW, after establishing a Men’s Furnishing Store and executive offices at 1013 F street. Stores were opened in Baltimore, Maryland and Richmond, Virginia 1891 but closed in 1893. By 1897 W&L had 1000 employees and 20 delivery wagons, and during the Christmas season inaugurated a shopping card for customers to shop in many departments and pick up their parcels at the purchasing office. In 1900 a branch office in Paris, with 2 resident buyers was established, and 400 cases of foreign goods for W&L passed through the Georgetown, D.C. customs office. The 1906 DC Charter lists S.W. Woodward as president, A.M. Lothrop as vice-president, and Max Fisher as treasurer. In 1946 W&L purchased the Palais Royal Department Store, owned by Sebastian Kresge, that included a store at 11th and G, NW, (W&L North Building), a warehouse at 1127 1st Street, NE, and 3 branch stores in Arlington, Bethesda and Department of Defense (Pentagon).. Between 1946 and 1982 branches were established in suburban Maryland and Virginia. Family members remained active in the management of the stores until the annual stockholders meeting in 1978, although some remained active on the Board of Directors. A. Alfred Taubman, a Michigan real estate magnate, became the new owner in October 1984. He mortgaged all the property to secure a loan to purchase Wanamakers store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. and then merge the Wanamakers store with W&L. By 1991 the Employee Savings Plan was depleted, leaving the employees retirement savings in jeopardy. W&L filed for bankruptcy protection in 1994. The Federated Department Stores were outbid by J.C. Penney Co. and May Department Store. J.C Penney and May agreed to hire all 3100 Union employees. The flagship store was 2 purchased by the Washington Opera at a bankruptcy auction and in 1999, real estate developer Douglas Jemal purchased the building from the Opera. At this time the building is being developed into a mixed use office and retail space. SCOPE AND CONTENT: Woodward and Lothrop, (W&L), 1873-1995 details the retailing history of a prominent family-operated business in Washington, D.C. and surrounding suburbs. The files contain biographical records, articles, and photographs of the family and employees. Early tax, insurance, and property records are found in the Business and Marketing Series and a cross reference to the bound Volumes of early Inventories and Sales Records, 1892-1910, are stored separately. The largest collection of correspondence, advertisements and photographs were in the 1940-1950’s time period. The records of the 20 Year Club (1913-1990) contain rosters, club activities, photographs and correspondence of the plans for banquets and entertainment of the members. W&L published an employee magazine, “The Woodlothian,” (1924-1994), along with handouts to customers in the form of Advertisements and a magazine for children. The physical plant is well represented by an extensive collection of photographs and slides of store interiors and exteriors, customer services, fashions and window displays (1870- 1980’s). The Advertisements and Catalogs (1880-1980) are sorted chronologically and detail the evolution of fashion, suggestions for home furnishings, pamphlets on beauty, clothes, gardens, food, and during World War II, helpful hints for the home front. There is a small collection of Audio and Visual Materials (1945-1980), including 33 1/3 records of a 1955 radio show “This is Washington. ARRANGEMENT The collection is arranged in 10 series chronologically. In order to maintain historical chronology, records are described according to their intellectual arrangement. Where bound records or photographs are filed separately, a reference to physical location is included (Bold container and folder numbers follow listing). Additional cross-references are also added to further guide researchers. Several items in this collection are listed as “in storage.” A detailed description and location can be found in the accession record of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. SERIES DESCRIPTION: :SERIES I: HISTORY, is arranged in 2 sub-series Sub-series A: Store History 1881-1995, consists of printed histories, one of which was published by Samuel Woodward’s grandson, Andrew Parker in 1955; an 1891 By-laws pamphlet; newspaper articles and artists sketches of original store buildings in early 1890’s and 1920’s. There is a large collection of photographs documenting the store and warehouse locations, family residences and vacation homes that have been removed from each file and stored separately for preservation purposes in Series X Sub-series B: Founders and Family History 1854-1942, includes printed biographies of the founders and their families, obituaries, family residences, personal business papers, checks and receipts in early 1900’s. 3 SERIES II: PERSONNEL AND EMPLOYMENT RECORDS, is arranged in two sub-series. Sub-series A: Personnel n/d to 1991, consists of the company’s employee files ranging from presidents, board of directors, buyers and secretaries and includes biographies, obituaries, correspondence, and clippings arranged in chronological order. The largest collection