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Catalog Data

Creator:
Warshaw, Isadore, 1900-1969  Search this
Extent:
4.71 Cubic feet (consisting of 9 boxes, 5 folders, 13 oversize folders, 1 map case folder, 3 flat boxes (partial), plus digital images of some collection material. )
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Business ephemera
Ephemera
Date:
circa 1792-1952
Summary:
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Furniture and Furnishings 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 letterhead stationery, printed advertisements, bills/receipts, advertising cards, illustrated catalogues, price lists, photographs, sales notices, auction notices, import/export documents, patents, business cards, lithographs and fabric samples. Most of these materials are from manufacturers and dealers, however, there are a number of references to interior decorators, upholsters, auctioneers, repairers, varnishers, polishers and furniture associations. Second hand furniture, antiques, and reproductions were available from a number of these companies. A large majority of these Companies offered furniture for the home. There are also some companies which sold furniture and furnishings for business, school, hospital, library, railroad, ship, hotel, hall, opera, invalid and outdoor use. The types of furnishings available are varied and include carpets, nursery accessories, fireplace mantels, picture frames, mirrors, mattresses, table covers, upholstery, looking glasses, wallpaper, curtains, caskets, stoves, clocks, art, pianos and lamp fixtures, waste baskets, wash stands and wood ornaments. Among the publications are a number of trade catalogues. Profusely illustrated, these catalogues supply the type of information that is hard to find anywhere else. Such information includes dimensions, prices, type of wood, usefulness of a particular piece and credit terms for payment. There are also a number of articles, periodicals and books. Most of these discuss a particular style of furniture, a particular piece of furniture or interior decoration. The material is organized by name of company. There are a number of folders arranged by type including images, patents, trademarks, instructions for fitting slip covers, upholstery samples, labels, and legal documents and import/export documents.
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:
Furniture and Furnishings 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.
Topic:
Furniture  Search this
House furnishings  Search this
Genre/Form:
Business ephemera
Ephemera
Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Furniture and Furnishings, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Furniture
See more items in:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Furniture and Furnishings
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep83f84bcc1-10e3-40cf-aba8-7399be075583
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0060-s01-01-furniture