Guide to MONTGOMERY WARD RECORDS, 1849-1989 148 cubic feet + microfilm + artifacts Accession Number 8088 Prepared by Loreley Moore December 1996 Revised by Loreley Moore May 2001 Contents Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... 1 History .................................................................................................................................................................. 2 Series Description ................................................................................................................................................ 3 Scope and Content................................................................................................................................................ 4 Folder List ............................................................................................................................................................ 5 Series I. Administrative Files ................................................................................................................ 5 Series II. Manuscript Files ................................................................................................................... 30 Series III. Catalogs-Montgomery Ward .............................................................................................. 31 Subseries 1. General ............................................................................................................... 31 Subseries 2. Specialty Catalogs ............................................................................................. 44 Series IV. Photographs ........................................................................................................................ 67 Series V. Scrapbooks .......................................................................................................................... 72 Series VI. Promotional Material ......................................................................................................... 75 Series VII. Manuscript Sheet Music .................................................................................................. 88 Series VIII. Catalogs-Montgomery Ward's Competitors .................................................................. 96 Series IX. Artifacts ............................................................................................................................ 109 Series X. Microfilm ........................................................................................................................... 109 Introduction MONTGOMERY WARD Records, 1849-1989 148 cubic feet (331 document and slim document boxes + microfilm + artifacts) Accession Number 8088 The Montgomery Ward Records were given to the American Heritage Center by Montgomery Ward in seventeen shipments, three in 1983, one in 1986, two in 1987, one in 1988, one in 1989, two in 1993, and seven in 1995. The records were received in good order. Original folder titles have been maintained. The collection should be cited as: Montgomery Ward Records, 1849-1989, Accession Number 8088, Box Number, Folder Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. RECEIVED AND ACKNOWLEDGED Rick Ewig Acting Director Date: 1 MONTGOMERY WARD RECORDS, Accession Number 8088 History Montgomery Ward was founded by Aaron Montgomery Ward and Charles R. Thorne in 1872. Their idea was to develop an organization the could sell merchandise of nearly every sort, directly to the customer. Ward's retail target was the rural small farmer west of the Mississippi River. Distances were great and means of travel were crude. Ward's mail order catalogs brought a wide selection of merchandise to even the most remote farm homes. Its policy of "Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back," was unique at the time. Ward was recognized as supply house for the National Grange. The company also exported merchandise abroad to missionaries, miners, and travelers. In the 1920s, Ward's expanded into the retail field. By 1929 there were more than 500 stores spanning the country. The store expansion program was still in full swing in October 1929, when the stock market crashed. As consumers felt the pinch of the Depression, the company experienced a first quarter loss of more than two million dollars in 1930. Mail order volume fell off sharply and retail sales also declined. Twenty-four stores closed in 1930 and eighteen in 1931. The directors asked Sewell Avery, president of United States Gypsum, to take over management of Montgomery Ward in 1931 because Avery would not enforce a closed union shop. In 1955 there was a bitter proxy fight between Louis Wolfson and Sewell Avery. Although Avery won the fight, he resigned as chairman of the board. During the 1950s and 1960s, Ward's renovated old stores and moved into suburban shopping centers. In 1968 Montgomery Ward and Container Corporation of America merged. The new holding company was called Marcor, Inc. In 1976 Marcor stockholders approved the merger of Marcor into Mobil Corporation, resulting in Montgomery Ward and Container Corporation of America becoming wholly owned subsidiaries of Mobil Corporation. The catalog was discontinued in 1985, and in 1988 senior management led a drive for a leveraged buy out and Montgomery Ward became a privately held company. 2 MONTGOMERY WARD RECORDS, Accession Number 8088 Series Description The Montgomery Ward Records are arranged in 10 series: Series I. Administrative Files, 1862-1985. 24 cubic feet. (51 document boxes, 2 slim document boxes, and 2 F17 boxes) Arranged alphabetically. Includes correspondence, financial and legal records, reports, public relations files, patents, abstracts of title, manuals, and files regarding the War Labor Board, rationing, union strikes, company take-over attempts, and the Defense Production Act of 1950. Series II. Manuscript Files, 1908-1972. .9 cubic feet. (2 document boxes) Arranged alphabetically. Notes and drafts of books regarding Montgomery Ward. Series III. Catalogs-Montgomery Ward, 1874-1985. Subseries 1. General Catalogs, 1874-1985. 34 cubic feet. (75 document boxes and 1 slim document box) Arranged chronologically. Subseries 2. Specialty Catalogs, 1886-1985. 34 cubic feet. (75 document boxes and 1 slim document box) Arranged alphabetically. Series IV. Photographs, 1860s-1950s. 2 cubic feet. (4 document boxes and 1 slim document box) Arranged alphabetically. Primarily product designs. There are a few historical photographs. Series V. Scrapbooks, 1849-1987. 3 cubic feet. (5 document boxes, 1 slim document box, and 1 F20 box) Arranged alphabetically. Newspaper and magazine clippings regarding Montgomery Ward management practices and promotions. Series VI. Promotional Material, 1875-1989. 6.5 cubic feet. (10 document boxes and 4 F22 boxes) Arranged alphabetically. Includes books, pamphlets, in house periodicals and speeches regarding Montgomery Ward and retail selling. Series VII. Manuscript Sheet Music, 1940s. 9.45 cubic feet. (21 document boxes) Arranged by show production number. Orchestral parts for the radio show "Radio Reader's Digest" which was sponsored by Montgomery Ward. Series VIII. Catalogs-Montgomery Ward's Competitors, 1954-1983. 33.75 cubic feet. (75 document boxes) Arranged alphabetically. Includes Aldens, Eaton's, J.C. Penney, Sears and Spiegel. Series IX. Artifacts, ca. 1880s, ca. 1926. Artifact Storage. Cash register, ca. 1880s and brass sign: "Montgomery Ward and Co. Retail Department Store," ca. 1926. Series X. Microfilm, 1872, 1878-1983. Contains 194 35 mm microfilm copies of Montgomery Wards General and Specialty Catalogs. 3 MONTGOMERY WARD RECORDS, Accession Number 8088 Scope and Content The Montgomery Ward Records, 1860s-1989, are a valuable source of information on selling by catalog and popular culture in the United States. There are also extensive files regarding World War II, especially rationing and price controls, the War Labor Board and union strikes during the war. The catalogs, 1874-1985, are a complete run and are also available on 35mm microfilm. The Scrapbooks, 1871-1987, includes a daily record of Montgomery Ward's dispute with the World War II War Labor Board and the occupation of Montgomery Ward by the United States Army in the 1940s. There are photographs of catalog product designs and manuscript sheet music for radio shows sponsored by Montgomery Ward. The printed material includes the employee magazine and books, pamphlets and speeches regarding Montgomery Ward and retail selling. There are some catalogs of Montgomery Wards competitors, mainly Sears, J.C. Penney and Spiegel. 4 MONTGOMERY WARD RECORDS, Accession Number 8088 Folder List Series I. Administrative Files, 1862-1985 Folder Title Date Box 1 AVERY STOCK OPTION 1 1929-1931 1929-1931 2 1932-1934 1932-1934 3 1935-1938 1935-1938 4 BARR, JOHN 1925-1979 CATALOG HISTORY: 5 CORRESPONDENCE 1947-1970 6 HISTORICAL DATA 1897-1965 Box 2 CHAIN STORE AGE 1-7 INTERVIEWS 1970 Box 3 CHAIN STORE AGE 1-2 INTERVIEWS 1970 3 1971 1971 4 1972-1977 1972-1977 5 1980-1983 1980-1983 6 CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY DONATION 1971 7 CHICAGO TRIBUNE 1873-1974 8 COMPARATIVE SALES TRENDS-WARDS AND SEARS 1943 5 MONTGOMERY WARD RECORDS, Accession Number 8088 Series I. Administrative Files, 1862-1985 (cont.) Folder Title Date Box 4 CONSUMER CREDIT 1 1950-1970 1950-1970 2 1971-1973 1971-1973 CORRESPONDENCE 3 A-CONGRESS 1942-1945 4 CONGRESS-FOG 1942-1945 5 GRA 1942-1945