0.59 Cubic feet (consisting of 1 box, 4 folders, 2 oversize folders, 1 map case folder, plus digital images of some collection material. )
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Ephemera
Business ephemera
Date:
circa 1833-1944
Summary:
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Clothing forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
Scope and Contents:
This material consists primarily of scattered correspondence on letter head stationery, bills/receipts, advertising cards, clothing labels, printed advertisements, fabric samples, business cards, catalogues, price lists, coins and import/export documents from importers, manufacturers and dealers of clothing. The clothing is intended for men, women and children. Custom and ready-made garments were offered by many of the establishments. There are a few companies that offered second hand clothing and others repaired and cleaned garments. Some of the advertisements suggest that credit could be obtained but would be treated like cash. Most of the businesses also sold a variety of other furnishings including shoes, boots, hats, gloves and furs. A number of advertisements for rubber, oiled and outer garments are found among these materials. Other dry goods items sold by these companies but not necessarily related to clothing are table covers, diapers, horse covers, bicycles and sewing machines.
A few of the companies specialize in garments for one group particularly men's furnishings. Most of the companies, however, are clothing houses for the whole family. For clothing companies specializing in garments for one particular gender group see appropriate subject categories. Additional materials on clothing houses represented in this material can also be found in other subject categories. The subject terms that follow are the appropriate Warshaw categories to consult.
Related Publications contains an article discussing the manufacture of ready-made clothing published in 1857.
A number of the clothing establishments used advertising cards with images of the presidents.
Materials are organized alphabetically by name of company. There are a few folders of material arranged by type: general receipts, related articles, clothing labels, import/export documents and miscellaneous items.
Materials in the Archives Center:
Archives Center Collection of Business Americana (AC0404)
Forms Part Of:
Forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana.
Missing Title
Series 1: Business Ephemera
Series 2: Other Collection Divisions
Series 3: Isadore Warshaw Personal Papers
Series 4: Photographic Reference Material
Provenance:
Clothing is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
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.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
