Montgomery
Ward and Company specialty catalogs
Descriptive inventory for the collection
at Chicago History Museum, Research Center
By JT de la Torre, 2018.
Please
address questions to:
Chicago
History Museum, Research Center
1601
North Clark Street
Chicago,
IL 60614-6038
Web-site:
www.chicagohistory.org/research
© Copyright 2018 by Chicago
Historical Society, Clark Street at North Avenue, Chicago, IL. 60614
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title: Montgomery Ward and Company specialty catalogs
Main
entry: Montgomery Ward
Dates:
1897-1996
Size:
Storage designation: HF5460 .W21z OVERSIZE
Restriction: No restrictions.
Description of the collection:
Specialty
mail-order catalogs published by Montgomery Ward and Company arranged by
subject and title. Categories include: Christmas; drugs; farm and garden;
fashion; furniture and home; Montgomery Ward Direct; photographic; plumbing; Spanish
language; sporting goods; toys; wallpaper; various sales catalogs; and
miscellaneous catalogs.
Brief history:
Montgomery
Ward and Company, a Chicago-based retailer, was the nation’s first mail-order
catalog house. Montgomery Ward’s was founded in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward
(1844-1913) at the corner of Clark Street and Kinzie Street in Chicago,
Illinois. Ward, who had previously worked as a retail clerk and dry goods
salesman, conceived of a mail-order retail operation aimed at rural consumers.
Though customers were initially leery of buying products sight unseen, the low
prices Ward’s made available soon assured the company’s success. Catalogs
serving different regions of the United States were published with slightly
varying content indicated by a code on the cover or within an individual page.
In
1926 Montgomery Ward and Company opened its first retail store in Plymouth,
Indiana. By mid-century, Ward’s had opened hundreds of retail stores throughout
the U.S. Declining sales led to the dissolution of the catalog division in
1985. The retailer restarted their catalog business in 1992 issuing catalogs
under the title Montgomery Ward Direct. However, the catalog was discontinued
in 1996. All remaining retail stores closed in December 2000.
Description of
some related materials:
Related
materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the Montgomer Ward general catalogs (call number HF5460 .W21), miscellaneous pamplets
(call number F38NH .M76z), Montgomery Ward
and Company collection records, a small collection of the Montgomery Ward
catalog photographs, 1963 (1992.0469), and a collection of visual materials.
List of online
catalog entries:
The
following headings for this collection were made in the online catalog:
Main
entry: Montgomery Ward
Subjects:
Montgomery
Ward.
Trade
catalogs.
Clothing
and dress.
Mail-order
business--United States.
Form/genre
headings:
Catalogs
Montgomery Ward Special Catalogs Inventory
(initials
following titles denote publishing region for catalog; any title not followed
by initials served Chicago)
A-Albany
(NY), B-Baltimore (MD), C-Chicago (IL), D-Denver (CO), F-Ft.Worth (TX), K-Kansas City (MO), M-Sharonville (OH),
N-New York (NY), O-Oakland (CA), P-Portland (OR), S-St. Paul (MN)
Anniversary Sale Catalogs (boxes 1 & 2)
Holdings
dates: 1959-1960, 1962-1963, 1969-1974, 1976, 1979-1985
Holdings
by title:
87th
anniversary sale (1959); 88th anniversary sale (1960); 90th
anniversary sale (1962); 91st anniversary sale (1963); 97th
anniversary sale (1969); 98th anniversary sale (1970); 99th
anniversary sale (1971); 100th anniversary sale (1972); 101st
anniversary sale (1973); 102nd anniversary sale (1974); 104th
anniversary sale (1976); 107th anniversary sale (1979 – water
damaged); 108th anniversary sale (1980 M); 109th
anniversary sale (1981 M); 110th anniversary sale (1982 M) 2 c.; 111th
anniversary sale (1983 M); 112th anniversary sale (1984); 113th
anniversary sale (1985);
Automotive Catalogs (box 2)
Holdings
dates: 1966-1967, 1971-1972
Holdings
by title:
Imports
(1966-1967); Model ‘A’ (1966-1967); Jeep (1971-1972);
Christmas Catalogs (boxes 3-8)
(title
varies slightly)
Holdings
dates: 1948-1949, 1951-1955, 1958-1959, 1962-1964, 1966-1985
Holdings
by date:
1948;
1949; 1951; 1952; 1953; 1954; 1955; 1958 (missing); 1959 (missing); 1962; 1963,
1963 F, 1963 C, F; 1964; 1966; 1967; 1968, 1968 A; 1969; 1970, 1970 A; 1971; 1972;
1973 (2 c.); 1974 (2 c.); 1975 (2 c.); 1976; 1977, 1977 A; 1978, 1978 A; 1979; 1980 M (2 c.); 1981 M;
1982 K; 1983 M; 1984; 1985;
Drugs Catalogs (box 8)
(titles
vary slightly)
Holdings
dates: 1894-1895 (2 c.), 1902
Farm and Garden Catalogs (boxes 8-10)
(title
varies slightly; garden catalogs for 1943-1945 can be found under call numbers:
SB115 .W35 1943, SB115 .W35 1944, SB115 .W35 1945 in
the folio stacks)
Holdings
dates: 1897, 1904-1905, 1943-1945, 1950, 1956-1958, 1960-1961, 1963, 1965-1982,
1985
Holdings
by title:
Farm
(1897; 1904; 1905; 1950 C, B, A, K, S, D, P, O, F; 1956; 1957; 1958, 1960,
1963; 1966;
1967
C, S (2 c.)); Garden (1943 C, K; 1944; 1945; 1965 C, K, S; 1966 C, K, S; 1967 P,
O; 1967 C, K, S, D, F; Farm, lawn and garden (1968 C, S; 1969; 1970, 1971 C, S,
1972; 1973; 1974; 1975; 1976; 1977; 1978; 1979; 1980; 1981 M; 1982 D; 1985);
Fashion Catalogs (box 11)
(title
varies slightly)
Holdings
dates: 1931, 1969, 1972, 1975-1976, 1978-1980, 1982, 1983-1985
Holdings
by title:
Made-to-order
clothing (1914 C, F, K, N, P); Today’s New York fashions (1931 C, B); Fashion preview
(fall 1969; 1972; 1975; spring 1976; spring 1978; fall 1979; spring 1980; spring
1982 B); Fabric boutique (spring 1970); The unexpected generation (1970 (4 c.);
ca. 1971 (2 c.));
Full
figure (fall 1983 K; summer 1984 K; summer 1985 (2 c.); fall 1985; winter 1985);
Furniture and Home Catalogs (box 12)
(Suburbia
catalog can be found under call number TrdCat M on
the oversize shelf near the trade catalog collection; Hallmark Quality
Furniture can be found under call number HF5460 .W21z
in the folio stacks)
Holdings
dates: 1912, 1943, ca. 1950, 1977-1983, 1985, n.d.
Holdings
by title:
Furniture,
carpets and rugs (1912 C, K); Hallmark Quality Furniture (1943); Suburbia (ca. 1950);
Sale catalogs (annual 1977; annual 1978; values 1979; great catalog buys 1979;
annual 1979; holiday 1979; 1980; 1980 F; annual 1980 M; holiday 1980 M; values
1981 B; 1981 M; annual 1981 M; winter white 1983 M; upstairs downstairs 1985); Furnishings
(spring 1981 M; fall 1981 K; summer 1982 M; summer 1982 S; winter 1982 M (2
c.); summer 1983 M (2 c.)); Domestic Showcase (n.d.);
General Sale Catalogs (boxes 13-18)
(magazine-style
catalogs issued irregularly throughout the year under various titles)
Holdings
dates:1963-1965, 1968-1986
Holdings
by date:
1963
F;
1964;
1965;
1968
(3 catalogs);
1969
(5 catalogs);
1970
(4 catalogs – C, 1 catalog – P);
1971
(1 catalog – C, 1 catalog – B);
1972
(5 catalogs – C, 1 catalog – O);
1973
(7 catalogs);
1974
(5 catalogs – C, 1 catalog – F, 1 catalog – D);
1975
(6 catalogs);
1976
(11 catalogs; 2 copies of winter);
1977
(9 catalogs);
1978
(9 catalogs – C, 1 catalog – A);
1979
(7 catalogs; 2 copies of Summer spectacular);
1980
(6 catalogs – C, 1 catalog – A, 1 catalog – M);
1981
(7 catalogs – M, 1 catalog – S, 2 catalogs – O, 1 catalog – A; 2 copies of winter,
2 copies of autumn);
1982
(20 catalogs – M, 2 catalogs – S, 1 catalog – F, 1 catalog – K; 2 copies of winter,
2 copies of Spring values, 2 copies
of Catalog sale May, 2 copies of Catalog sale June, 2 copies of Now, 2 copies of Catalog sale July, 2 copies
of Catalog sale December, 2 copies of Great gifts, 3 copies of other Catalog sale December);
1983
(3 catalogs – C, 16 catalogs – M, 3 catalogs – B; 2 copies of End-of-season, 2 copies
of Catalog sale February, 2 copies
of April, 2 copies of Catalog sale July, 2 copies of Back-to- school, 2 copies of Catalog sale
September, 2 copies of Catalog sale December, 2 copies of other Catalog sale
December);
1984
(17 catalogs – C, 3 catalogs – F, 2 catalogs – M);
1985
(24 catalogs – C, 1 catalog – O, 2 catalogs – M; 2 copies of Catalog sale June,
2 copies of other Catalog sale June, 2 copies
of Catalog sale July, 2 copies of Catalog sale December);
1986
(1 catalog – C, 2 catalogs – K);
Montgomery Ward Direct (boxes 19-21)
(Issued
seasonally; issues for the same date have slightly differing content and
covers)
Holdings
dates: 1992-1996
Holdings
by title:
spring
1992 (4 issues); fall 1992 (6 issues); holiday 1992 (3 issues); winter 1992 (3
issues); spring 1993 (11 issues); summer 1993 (6 issues); fall 1993 (10
issues); holiday 1993 (2 issues); winter 1993 (5 issues); spring 1994 (14
issues); summer 1994 (7 issues); fall 1994 (7 issues); holiday 1994 (7 issues);
winter 1994 (6 issues); spring 1995 (13 issues); summer 1995 (8 issues); fall
1995 (3 issues); holiday 1995 (3 issues); winter 1995 (3 issues); spring 1996
(1 issue); n.d. (17 issues);
Photographic Catalogs (boxes 21-23)
(title
varies slightly)
Holdings
dates: 1946-1963
Holdings
by date:
1946;
1947; 1948; 1949; 1950; 1951; 1951 C, B, A, K, S, D, P, O, F; 1952; 1953 (2 c.);
1954; 1955 C, B, A, K, S, D, P, O, F; 1956 C, B, A, K, S, D, P, O, F; 1957 C,
B, A, K, S, D, P, O, F; 1958 C, B, A, K, S, D, P, O, F; 1959 C, B, A, K, S, D,
P, O, F (2 c.); 1960 C, B, A, K, S, D, P, O, F; 1961 C, B, A, K, S, D, P, O, F;
1962 C, B, A, K, S, D, P, O, F; 1963 C, B, A, S, K;
Plumbing Catalogs (box 23)
Holdings
dates: 1918, 1950, n.d.
Holdings
by title:
Plumbing
(1918); Guide for planning (1950); Running water for farms (1950); Sanitary
closets (n.d.);
Seasonal Values Catalogs (boxes 23-29)
Holdings
dates: 1924, 1943, 1951, 1954-1955, 1960-1985
Holdings
by title:
summer
1924; winter 1943; summer 1951; summer 1954; winter 1955; summer 1960; winter
1961; spring 1961; summer 1961; fall 1961; winter 1962; summer 1962; fall 1962;
winter 1963; spring 1963; summer 1963; fall 1963; winer
1964; summer 1964; fall 1964; winter 1965; summer 1965; fall 1965; fall, winter
1965 A; winter 1966; summer 1966; winter 1967; summer 1967; fall 1967; winter 1968; summer 1968; fall 1968; winter
1969; summer 1969; fall 1969; winter
1970; summer 1970; winter 1971; summer 1971; winter 1972; summer 1972; winter
1973; summer 1973; winter 1974; summer 1974; summer 1975; summer 1976; summer
1977; summer 1977 F; summer 1978; summer 1978 O; summer 1979; summer 1980;
summer 1980 M; fall 1980 M; summer 1981 M; spring 1982 A; summer 1982 A; fall
1982 K; spring 1983 B; spring 1983 M; summer 1983 M; fall 1983 M; summer 1984
(2 c.); summer 1985 (3 c.);
Spanish Language Catalogs (box 30)
Holdings
dates: 1912-1914, 1917-1921, 1925
Holdings
by title:
Nos.
80-82 (1912-1914); No. 86 (1917); Nos. 88-90 (1918-1919); Nos. 92, 94
(1920-1921); No. 102 (1925);
Sporting Goods Catalogs (box 30)
Holdings
dates: 1959, 1961, 1985
Holdings
by title:
Outdoor
sports (1959 A, B, C, D, F, K, S);
Fishing,
hunting and camping (1961);
Golf
& tennis (1985);
Toy Catalogs (box 30)
(title
varies slightly)
Holdings
dates: 1960-1965
Holdings
by date:
1960
C, B, A, K, S, D, P, O, F; 1961 C, B, A, K, S, D, P, O, F; 1962 C, B, A, K, S,
D, P, O, F; 1963 C, B A, K, S; 1964 C, B A, K, S; 1965 C, B A, K, S;
Wallpaper Catalogs (stored under
call number NK3399 .W3)
(title
varies slightly)
Holdings
dates: 1911, 1914, 1916-1919, 1922-1925, 1927-1936, 1938-1943, 1947, 1949,
1950, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1958
Holdings
by date:
1911
C, K; 1914 C, F, K, N, P; 1916 C, F, K, N, P; 1917 C, F, K, N, P; 1918 C, F, K,
N, P; 1919 C, F, K, P; 1922 P; 1923 C, F, K, P, S; 1924 C, F, K, O, P, S; 1925 C,
F, K, O, P, S; 1927 B, C, F, K, O, P, S; 1928 B, C, F, K, O, P, S; 1929 B, C,
D, F, K, O, P, S; 1930; 1931 A, B, C, D, F, K, O, P, S; 1932 A, B, C, D, F, K,
O, P, S; 1933 A, B, C, D, F, K, O, P, S; 1934 A, B, C, D, F, K, O, P, S; 1935; 1936;
1938 (missing); 1939 A, D, F, O, P; 1940 C, K, S; 1941 D, O, P; 1942 A, B, C,
F, K, S; 1943; 1947; 1949; 1950; 1951; A, B, C, K, S; 1953; 1955 A, B, C, K, S;
1958;
Miscellaneous Catalogs (box 31)
Announcement
of general catalogue (1897 (2 c.); spring/summer 1898 (2 c.); fall/winter 1898;
spring/summer 1899; 1901; 1902;
1904);
Bicycles
(1895);
Books
(1902-1903);
Building
materials (1913 C, F, K, N, P);
Early
spring offerings (1903);
Electric
generating systems (1945);
Fireplaces
(1904-1905);
Gift
book (1955);
Groceries
(July/August 1903);
Guns,
revolvers, meerschaum goods, skates, sleigh bells, clocks and musical
merchandise (fall/ winter 1881);
Lighting
fixtures (1921);
Modern
wiring : a practical guide for planning, selecting and
installing adequate wiring for home and farm (1955);
Montgomery
Ward division 81 technical reference book for warm air heating (1952);
Montgomery
Ward presents Deerskin (Fall 1991);
Montgomery
Ward presents Haverhills (Holiday 1989) (2 c.);
Montgomery
Ward presents Leichtung Work Shops (February/March
1990)
Montgomery
Ward presents Newport news (Fall 1991);
Organs,
pianos and sewing machines (1894);
Outdoor
Exchange (Winter 1985);
Paint
(n.d.);
Power
tools (1956-1957; 1958);
Rain
troughs and downspouts : how to plan, how to order,
how to install (n.d.);
Sawmills
and lumber finishing equipment (1949 A, B, C, D, F, K, O, P, S);
Specimen
prices : from our general catalogue and buyers’ guide
(1897 (2 c.));
Underwear
(1900-1901);
Wards
presents Wilson Top Quality Meats (1960 C, B, A, S, D, K, F, P, O);
Wardway Homes (1926 C, B,
F, K O, P, S; 1931);
Workwear
(1985);