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Board of Design Drawings for New York World's Fair

Collection Creator:
United Telegraph Workers.  Search this
Western Union Telegraph Company  Search this
Extent:
1 Roll
Container:
Box 838
Type:
Archival materials
Roll
Date:
1939
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but Series 11 and films are stored off-site. Special arrangements must be made to view some of the audiovisual materials. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Western Union Telegraph Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
See more items in:
Western Union Telegraph Company Records
Western Union Telegraph Company Records / Series 21: Maps and Charts / 21.6: Miscellaneous Maps
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep83ba5f24b-ae67-42d5-9bba-ce1e3d16cfb8
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0205-ref11717

South Roxbury Drive Design Drawings by Miriam Wosk (Digital Images)

Collection Creator:
Wosk, Miriam, 1947-2010  Search this
Extent:
1 Electronic discs (CD) (Includes photographic prints of a list of digital drawings with small accompanying images.)
Container:
Box 7, Folder 32
Type:
Archival materials
Electronic discs (cd)
Date:
2007
Collection Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records in this collection must use access copies. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that they may own.

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Miriam Wosk papers, 1961-2013. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Miriam Wosk papers
Miriam Wosk papers / Series 4: Personal Business Records / Redesigns of Residences
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97c97cacf-4ba0-4f26-91a3-2413005c9ded
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-woskmiri-ref231

South Roxbury Drive Design Drawings by Miriam Wosk

Collection Creator:
Wosk, Miriam, 1947-2010  Search this
Container:
Oversize 24
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1980-circa 1983
Collection Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records in this collection must use access copies. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that they may own.

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Miriam Wosk papers, 1961-2013. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Miriam Wosk papers
Miriam Wosk papers / Series 4: Personal Business Records / Redesigns of Residences
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c8d3ceff-e45f-486a-b582-a08c1edc2ce8
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-woskmiri-ref392

South Roxbury Drive Design Drawings by Miriam Wosk

Collection Creator:
Wosk, Miriam, 1947-2010  Search this
Container:
Oversize 25
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1980-circa 1983
Collection Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records in this collection must use access copies. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that they may own.

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Miriam Wosk papers, 1961-2013. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Miriam Wosk papers
Miriam Wosk papers / Series 4: Personal Business Records / Redesigns of Residences
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw944e1c652-bbf8-4655-b0da-0fb362af067d
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-woskmiri-ref393

South Roxbury Drive Design Drawings by Miriam Wosk

Collection Creator:
Wosk, Miriam, 1947-2010  Search this
Container:
Oversize 26
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1980-circa 1983
Collection Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records in this collection must use access copies. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that they may own.

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Miriam Wosk papers, 1961-2013. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Miriam Wosk papers
Miriam Wosk papers / Series 4: Personal Business Records / Redesigns of Residences
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw90a788a13-d27d-4ade-b65d-ddb59736b078
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-woskmiri-ref394

South Roxbury Drive Design Drawings by Miriam Wosk

Collection Creator:
Wosk, Miriam, 1947-2010  Search this
Container:
Oversize 27
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1980-circa 1983
Collection Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records in this collection must use access copies. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that they may own.

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Miriam Wosk papers, 1961-2013. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Miriam Wosk papers
Miriam Wosk papers / Series 4: Personal Business Records / Redesigns of Residences
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c1623c5e-68e1-4667-9d18-1b3e55d27bc5
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-woskmiri-ref395

South Roxbury Drive Design Drawings by Miriam Wosk

Collection Creator:
Wosk, Miriam, 1947-2010  Search this
Container:
Oversize 28
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1980-circa 1983
Collection Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records in this collection must use access copies. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that they may own.

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Miriam Wosk papers, 1961-2013. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Miriam Wosk papers
Miriam Wosk papers / Series 4: Personal Business Records / Redesigns of Residences
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw948a297f2-2b3b-41f9-9d88-9f021fe99b23
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-woskmiri-ref396

Behind the Design | In Print and On View: Designing for E. McKnight Kauffer at Cooper Hewitt

Creator:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum  Search this
Type:
Conversations and talks
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2021-09-29T05:22:24.000Z
YouTube Category:
Entertainment  Search this
Topic:
Design  Search this
See more by:
cooperhewitt
Data Source:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
YouTube Channel:
cooperhewitt
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_Qdkgdl6HsKM

Caution Symbol

Designer:
Henry Dreyfuss , American, 1904 – 1972  Search this
Distributor:
Neiman Marcus, American, born 1907  Search this
Medium:
plastic
Dimensions:
H x W x D: 1.4 x 13.5 x 13.5 cm (9/16 x 5 5/16 x 5 5/16 in.)
Type:
tableware designs
Decorative Arts
ashtray
Object Name:
ashtray
Date:
1972
Credit Line:
Gift of Henry Dreyfuss
Accession Number:
1972-88-129-1
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
Product Design and Decorative Arts Department
Data Source:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kq4525228da-c67d-4f08-ba86-46f5c6899f0e
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:chndm_1972-88-129-1
Online Media:

Prohibition Symbol

Designer:
Henry Dreyfuss , American, 1904 – 1972  Search this
Distributor:
Neiman Marcus, American, born 1907  Search this
Medium:
plastic
Dimensions:
H x W x D: 1.4 x 13.5 x 13.5 cm (9/16 x 5 5/16 x 5 5/16 in.)
Type:
tableware designs
Decorative Arts
ashtray
Object Name:
ashtray
Date:
1972
Credit Line:
Gift of Henry Dreyfuss
Accession Number:
1972-88-129-2
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
Product Design and Decorative Arts Department
Data Source:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kq4a36b32e0-757d-4096-a02c-bf25391bd2ad
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:chndm_1972-88-129-2
Online Media:

Up Symbol

Designer:
Henry Dreyfuss , American, 1904 – 1972  Search this
Distributor:
Neiman Marcus, American, born 1907  Search this
Medium:
plastic
Dimensions:
H x W x D: 1.4 x 13.5 x 13.5 cm (9/16 x 5 5/16 x 5 5/16 in.)
Type:
tableware designs
Decorative Arts
ashtray
Object Name:
ashtray
Date:
1972
Credit Line:
Gift of Henry Dreyfuss
Accession Number:
1972-88-129-3
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
Product Design and Decorative Arts Department
Data Source:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kq4116cc308-2320-4d65-8ea4-86ae4b362bc5
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:chndm_1972-88-129-3
Online Media:

Label for National Dairy Ice Cream

Designer:
Henry Dreyfuss , American, 1904 – 1972  Search this
Medium:
Brush and gouache, graphite on white laid paper
Dimensions:
7.9 x 16.3 cm (3 1/8 x 6 7/16 in.)
Type:
packaging designs
Drawing
Object Name:
Drawing
Made in:
USA
Date:
1930
Credit Line:
Gift of University of California, Los Angeles
Accession Number:
1973-15-43
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design Department
Data Source:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kq41edac284-ab47-4323-8819-0c948060eda5
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:chndm_1973-15-43

Package Design for National Dairy Ice Cream

Designer:
Henry Dreyfuss , American, 1904 – 1972  Search this
Medium:
Brush and gouache, graphite on thick white paper
Dimensions:
15.2 x 29.3 cm (6 in. x 11 9/16 in.), irregular
Type:
packaging designs
Drawing
Object Name:
Drawing
Made in:
USA
Date:
1930
Credit Line:
Gift of University of California, Los Angeles
Accession Number:
1973-15-44
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design Department
Data Source:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kq449fca704-a0cb-4b30-90e5-4cb768e0bb44
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:chndm_1973-15-44

Design for Product Label, Higgins

Designer:
Henry Dreyfuss , American, 1904 – 1972  Search this
Medium:
Brush and red, white gouache, silver metallic paint, graphite on wove paper
Dimensions:
9.9 x 28.7 cm (3 7/8 x 11 5/16 in.)
Type:
packaging designs
Drawing
Object Name:
Drawing
Made in:
USA
Date:
1930
Credit Line:
Gift of University of California, Los Angeles
Accession Number:
1973-15-68
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design Department
Data Source:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kq4531aac8a-b353-41b4-88af-1b7de334fa36
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:chndm_1973-15-68

Design for Product Label, Higgins' Vegetable Glue

Designer:
Henry Dreyfuss , American, 1904 – 1972  Search this
Medium:
Brush and blue, white gouache, glued silver paper strips, graphite on paper
Dimensions:
9.5 x 28.8 cm (3 3/4 x 11 5/16 in.)
Type:
packaging designs
Drawing
Object Name:
Drawing
Made in:
USA
Date:
1930
Credit Line:
Gift of University of California, Los Angeles
Accession Number:
1973-15-70
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design Department
Data Source:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kq49c312203-04d1-4dae-b774-ae9c87c3ce30
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:chndm_1973-15-70

Design for Product Label, Higgins' Vegetable Glue

Designer:
Henry Dreyfuss , American, 1904 – 1972  Search this
Medium:
Brush and blue, white gouache, paper strips, graphite on paper
Dimensions:
9.5 x 28.8 cm (3 3/4 x 11 5/16 in.)
Type:
packaging designs
Drawing
Object Name:
Drawing
Made in:
USA
Date:
1930
Credit Line:
Gift of University of California, Los Angeles
Accession Number:
1973-15-71
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design Department
Data Source:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kq4d0ae1c8f-6967-4aca-9950-023ad698a39b
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:chndm_1973-15-71

Design for Packaging, Whitman's

Designer:
Henry Dreyfuss , American, 1904 – 1972  Search this
Medium:
Brush and green watercolor, gouache, gold metallic paint, graphite on paper
Dimensions:
Mat: 45.7 x 35.6 cm (18 x 14 in.)
Type:
packaging designs
Drawing
Object Name:
Drawing
Made in:
USA
Date:
1929–30
Credit Line:
Gift of University of California, Los Angeles
Accession Number:
1973-15-77
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design Department
Data Source:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kq4d2387791-9d97-4bb7-bf92-5c7942cdcf69
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:chndm_1973-15-77

USA, Navy, ZR-1 "Shenandoah", Design, Drawings [Documents]

Collection Creator:
National Air and Space Museum. Archives Division.  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
The majority of the Archives Department's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which may be accessed through the Reading Room at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. More specific information can be requested by contacting the Archives Research Request.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.1183.A, File A3U-717700-01
See more items in:
National Air and Space Museum Technical Reference Files: Aircraft
National Air and Space Museum Technical Reference Files: Aircraft / Series A3: Lighter than Air (LTA), Airships / USA, Navy, ZR-1 "Shenandoah"
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2c351c8de-8024-48d5-9288-72869f35dbaa
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nasm-xxxx-1183-a-ref65586

Virginia "Jimmie" Booth Collection

Creator:
Booth, Virginia  Search this
Names:
Lord & Taylor  Search this
Davies, Donald  Search this
McCardell, Claire  Search this
Potter, Clare  Search this
Extent:
3 Cubic feet (6 boxes, 3 map folders)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Correspondence
Design drawings
Date:
1936-1999, undated
Summary:
Papers relating to Virginia "Jimmie" Booth's career as a buyer for Lord and Taylor, where she worked for Dorothy Shaver. Papers include correspondence; photographs; original drawings by designer Clare Potter; printed material including articles, magazine advertising and catalogs; a scrapbook of clippings and memorabilia.
Scope and Contents:
Collection primarily documents Booth's career as a buyer for Lord & Taylor. It includes correspondence, photographs, drawings, clippings, and a scrapbook. There are materials relating to American born designers Claire McCardell (May 24, 1905- March 22, 1958) and Clare Potter (July 7, 1903- January 5, 1999). There is also information relating to European designers including Irish born Sybil Connolly (January 24, 1921- May 6, 1998) and Swedish born Countess Ebba Von Eckermann (April 19, 1921-February 2, 2018). In addition, materials relating to textile manufacturing and weaving, particularily in Ireland, can also be found among the materials. The collection is arranged in seven series: Series 1, Personal Papers, 1936-1999, undated; Series 2, Hillandale Handweavers, 1948-1949, 1972, undated; Series 3, Lord & Taylor Country Clothes Shop, 1950s-1960s, undated; Series 4, Irish Materials, 1958-1999, undated; Series 5, American Designers, 1944-2000, undated; Series 6, European Designers and Textile Manufacturers, 1955-1997, undated; and Series 7, Miscellaneous, 1962.
Arrangement:
Collection is organized into seven series.

Series 1: Personal Papers, 1936-1999, undated

Series 2: Hillandale Handweavers, 1948-1949, 1972, undated

Series 3: Lord & Taylor Country Clothes Shop, 1950s-1960s, undated

Series 4: Irish Materials, 1958-1999, undated

Series 5: American Designers, 1944-2000, undated

Series 6: European Designers and Textile Manufacturers, 1955-1997, undated

Series 7: Miscellaneous, 1962
Biographical / Historical:
Virginia Wagoner Booth, known as Jimmie Booth, was born June 20, 1922 in Bronxville, New York, the daughter of John and Josephine Wagoner. She studied printing and engineering at Syracuse University. An engineer with Pratt & Whitney during World War II, she entered the fashion world as a bridal consultant at G. Fox in Hartford in 1945.

In 1952 Dorothy Shaver, of Lord & Taylor, hired Booth for the Hartford store and asked her to develop and manage The Country Clothes Shop in the 5th Avenue store in New York. There, Booth collaborated with and promoted such American designers as Clare Potter, Bonnie Cashin, and Claire McCardell. Booth also worked extensively with European designers.

Married to H. Robert Booth (Bob) Booth of Hillandale Handweavers, Jimmie promoted the use of both American and European hand-loomed fabrics by her designers. She frequently modeled the fashions herself. Her casual, yet elegant, style is the epitome of "the American Look" still popular today.

In 1998, Jimmie Booth, Dorothy Shaver, and other creators of The American Look were saluted in the exhibition, "Designing Women: American Style 1940-1960" at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford.

In addition to her design work, Booth was a violinist with the Hartford Symphony in the 1940s, and later became the chef at the Brooklyn, Connecticut, Golden Lamb Buttery, which she and her husband, H. Robert Booth (Bob), owned and operated. She died January 2011 at the age of eighty-nine in Hartford, Connecticut.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center

Dorothy Shaver Papers NMAH.AC0631

Carolyn and Donald Grepke Paper Doll Collection NMAH.AC0752

Estelle Ellis Collection NMAH.AC0423

Joseph Magnin Poster Collection NMAH.AC0355

Ming-Ju Sun Garfinckel's Fashion Drawings NMAH.AC0897

Henry Booth Collection, NMAH.AC0726

Priscilla of Boston Collection NMAH.AC0557

California Shop Records NMAH.AC0572

National Cotton Council of America Photographs and Films NMAH.AC01177

Division of Costume Audiovisual Collection NMAH.AC0801

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana NMAH.AC0060
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Virginia "Jimmie" Booth, in May 2000.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Costume design  Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks -- 20th century
Photographs -- 1940-1970
Correspondence -- 20th century
Design drawings
Citation:
Virginia "Jimmie" Booth Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0729
See more items in:
Virginia "Jimmie" Booth Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep88d6772c1-ee21-4424-8488-4022e86c581e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0729

Brannock Device Company Records

Creator:
Park-Brannock.  Search this
Park, Ernest N.  Search this
Brannock, Otis C.  Search this
Brannock, Charles F., 1903-1992  Search this
Brannock Device Company.  Search this
Names:
Selby Shoe Company  Search this
United States. Armed Forces -- Supplies and stores  Search this
United States. Army -- Supplies and stores  Search this
Extent:
12 Cubic feet (34 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Patents
Trademarks
Slides (photographs)
Advertisements
Sales records
Photographs
Photographic prints
Filmstrips
Design drawings
Date:
1925 - 1998
Summary:
The Brannock Device Company began with the 1925 invention of the Brannock Device, a tool to measure foot length and width at the same time, by inventor and businessman Charles F. Brannock. Early in his career Brannock worked as a shoe salesman at the Park-Brannock shoe store, and in 1962 he became the CEO of the company. This collection documents both the Park-Brannock store and the Brannock Device. Materials in The Brannock Device Company Records, 1925-1998, include of correspondence, design drawings, United States and foreign patents and trademarks, advertisements, product information, sales records, photographs, and a film strip documenting the invention, promotion, and sale of the Brannock Device as well as the concurrent development of Park-Brannock as a leading shoe store in Syracuse, N.Y.
Scope and Contents:
The Brannock Device Company Records, 1925-1998, consist of correspondence, design drawings, United States and foreign patents and trademarks, advertisements, product information, sales records, photographs, and a film strip documenting the invention, promotion, and sale of the Brannock Device as well as the concurrent development of Park-Brannock as a leading shoe store in Syracuse, NY. The collection is useful to researchers for its stories of invention and entrepreneurship and its exemplification of the patent and trademark process in the United States and internationally in the early 20th century. The process of manufacturing and marketing in the shoe industry, and manufacturing of military supplies during World War II is also highlighted.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into two subgroups.

Subgroup 1, The Brannock Device Company, 1925-1998

Series 1: Historical Background, 1928-1995

Series 2: Operational Records, 1926-1980

Subseries 1: Book for Recording Devices on Hand, 1927-1929

Subseries 2: Correspondence, 1926-1951

Subseries 3: Census, 1947-1980

Subseries 4: Insurance Inventory, 1956

Subseries 5: Royalties Accrued, 1946-1951

Subseries 6: Time Records, 1952-1958

Subseries 7: Notes, undated

Series 3: Product Development Records, 1925-1981

Subseries 1: Competitors' Devices and Other Products, c. 1928-1981

Subseries 2: Fitting Stool, 1936-1947

Subseries 3: Design, 1925-1975

Subseries 4: Manufacture, 1927-1959

Series 4: Advertising and Marketing Records, 1926-1998

Subseries 1: Correspondence, 1926-1998

Subseries 2: Mailing Lists, 1947-1950

Subseries 3: Ideas and Copy, undated

Subseries 4: Printed Materials with the Brannock Device Name (stationery, business cards, leases), undated

Subseries 5: Advertisements and Product Information, 1934-1980

Subseries 6: Measuring Device Instructions, undated

Subseries 7: Advertising and Merchandising Plans, 1938-1956

Series 5: Sales and Distribution Records, 1925-1986

Subseries 1: United States--Private Sector, 1925-1973

Subseries 2: United States--Military, 1928-1972

Subseries 3: Foreign, 1937-1986

Series 6: Photographs, c. 1930-1997

Subseries 1: Personal, undated

Subseries 2: Foot-Measuring Devices, undated

Subseries 3: Military, undated

Subseries 4: Employees and Factory, undated

Subseries 5: Negatives of Brannock Device, 1933-1958

Subgroup 2, Park-Brannock Shoe Store Records, 1916-1918, 1927-1981

Series 1: Historical Background, 1936-1981

Series 2: Operational Records, 1936-1972

Subseries 1: Financial Materials, 1936-1972

Subseries 2: Financial Materials, 1937-1961

Subseries 3: Business Course Tailored to Park-Brannock, undated

Subseries 4: Business Course Tailored to Park-Brannock, 1935-1961

Subseries 5: New York City Business Trips, 1945-1952

Subseries 6: Miscellaneous Notes, undated

Series 3: Advertising and Marketing Records, 1933-1962

Series 4: Sales Records, 1916-1977

Subseries 1: Customer Correspondence, 1928-1977

Subseries 2: Supplier Correspondence, 1927-1944

Subseries 3: Florsheim Sales Instruction Manual, undated

Subseries 4: Inventories, 1961

Subseries 5: Promotions, undated

Subseries 6: Receipts, 1916-1918

Subseries 7: Sales Floor Management, undated

Series 5: Photographs, 1932-1967
Biographical / Historical:
The Brannock Device Company began with the 1925 invention of the Brannock Device by Charles F. Brannock. Charles Brannock was working as a salesman in the Park-Brannock shoe store, co-owned by his father Otis C. Brannock and Ernest N. Park, in Syracuse, New York when he saw the need for an improved foot-measuring device. The Brannock Device soon gained favor over size-sticks because it measured foot length and width at the same time. Additionally, it measured heel-to-ball length, a feature which aided in fitting heeled shoes.

Charles F. Brannock (1903-1992) was an inventor and businessman. He began tinkering with the idea of a new foot-measuring device while attending Syracuse University, where he would get up in the middle of the night and work on sketches and calculations. Brannock obtained a patent for the device on August 28, 1928, but by then manufacture and sale of the device was already underway. Brannock assembled the device in the Park-Brannock shoe store and gave the device a trial on the sales floor. In 1926, Charles Brannock began offering the device to shoe retailers first on a rental basis and then by sale through the use of salesmen who lived throughout the country and each covered a geographic area. By 1929, the company began to phase out salesmen because it offered quantity discounts to shoe companies which distributed the devices to their stores at a lower price than salesmen could offer.

Brannock sold his device internationally beginning in 1929 through Mr. I. Singer of London, England. In 1936 distribution rights transferred to Henry Maitland Marler of Feature Shoes Limited of London, an affiliate of the Selby Shoe Company. Renewing and protecting foreign trademarks proved to be a legal challenge. Due to some confusion, Brannock's British patent was allowed to lapse. In order to prevent other companies from using the Brannock name in England, H.M. Marler set up Brannock Fitting Device Limited in October 1937. The company began manufacturing Brannock Devices in January 1946, but royalties accrued through European sale by 1951 did not even cover a third of the cost of trademarks, patents, and designs.

Fortunately for the Brannock Device Company, these costs were absorbed by the Selby Shoe Company, with whom it had entered into agreements about foreign distribution in November 1941. Selby had exclusive rights to distribute the Brannock Device in South America, South Africa, and other countries, and assisted Brannock in securing trademarks in many foreign countries.

In 1933 a United States Navy captain asked a shoe salesman to find the source of many sailors' foot problems. The salesman, after measuring sailors' feet with the Brannock device, declared that the Navy shoe was not the cause of the problem; the sailors were simply wearing the wrong size shoes. The captain was so happy that he would not have to order special shoes for his men that he wrote an article in the July 1933 issue of United States Naval Institute Proceedings which described how the Brannock Device had eliminated foot troubles aboard the ship. This gave Brannock an opportunity to promote his device in the Navy by sending the article to other ships. He calibrated his device for use in other branches of the military and by World War II the Brannock Device was being used by most of the armed forces. Several articles were written about the greater foot comfort enjoyed by the military after the introduction of the device. Charles Brannock was proud of his small but widespread role in the war effort and in the comfort of America's enlisted men and women.

Through the years Charles Brannock developed many different models of his device, including the women's, men's, junior, growing girl's, athletic, ski-boot, and military models. In 1947, Brannock moved the device company to a machine shop at 509 East Fayette Street in Syracuse, where it remained for 50 years.

Brannock advertised both the store and the device in local papers, and the device in trade literature such as Boot and Shoe Recorder. He encouraged other shoe stores to promote themselves by using the device in their advertising. He also attended the annual National Shoe Fair in Chicago from 1938 to 1968 in order to promote the device as well as learn about shoe-fashion trends for the Park-Brannock shoe store.

Concurrently, Charles Brannock also played a significant role in the Park-Brannock shoe store. His father, Otis C. Brannock and Ernest N. Park founded Park-Brannock in 1906 in a small store at 321 South Salina Street, focusing on women's shoes. In February 1937, they moved to a three-story building at 427 South Salina Street. Finally, in 1946, a six-story store was built at 473-475 South Salina Street through 129 East Onondaga Street. While waiting for the newest store to be built, Park-Brannock temporarily moved to the Chimes Building at 510-512 South Salina Street and 113 West Onondaga Street. Park-Brannock gained fame in Syracuse for a wide selection of men's, women's and children's shoes, handbags, millinery, hose, and accessories. In an advertisement, the store declared itself "one of America's finest shoe stores." The design of the two newer stores was state-of-the-art, and Park-Brannock was featured in shoe magazine articles. For example, the men's department was designed to look like a great room inside a ship. Charles Brannock became the CEO of Park-Brannock after both his father and Ernest Park died in 1962. Park-Brannock closed its doors in 1981, after the Hotel Syracuse offered to purchase the property for its new Hilton Tower.

Charles Brannock died on November 22, 1992, at the age of 89. The company was purchased in 1993 from the Brannock Estate by Salvatore Leonardi. Leonardi continues to manufacture Brannock devices in a small factory in Liverpool, New York. Over a million Brannock Devices have been manufactured, and it remains the shoe industry standard
Related Materials:
Materials at the National Museum of American History

Artifacts (several Brannock Devices and competitors' devices) are in the Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) and the Division of Armed Forces History (now Division of Political and Military History).
Provenance:
The collection was donated to the National Museum of American History by Salvatore Leonardi on November 4, 1998.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
World War, 1939-1945 -- Equipment and supplies  Search this
Show-windows -- New York -- Syracuse  Search this
Shoes -- Sizes  Search this
Shoe industry -- New York -- Syracuse  Search this
Shoes -- Fitting  Search this
Shoe machinery  Search this
Foot -- Measurement  Search this
Design, Industrial -- New York -- Syracuse  Search this
Military supplies  Search this
Measuring instruments industry  Search this
Measuring instruments  Search this
Genre/Form:
Patents
Trademarks
Slides (photographs)
Advertisements
Sales records
Photographs -- Black-and-white negatives -- Glass -- 1890-1920
Photographs -- 20th century
Photographic prints
Filmstrips
Design drawings
Citation:
Brannock Device Company Records, dates, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0672
See more items in:
Brannock Device Company Records
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep884ed7f98-35b5-4cce-998a-fac08db27ab5
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0672
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