• Creator Names Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Chicago.
  • Title Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Chicago records [manuscript], ca. 1929-2003.
  • Physical description
    • 150 linear feet (151 boxes)
    • 4 audio cassettes.
    • 48 open-reel audio recordings.
    • 1 wire recording.
    • 4 video cassettes.
  • Access and usage restrictions
    • Boxes 148-151 are closed until 2023.
    • For listening or viewing purposes, it is necessary to use a copy, not the original (and to have a copy made if one is not available).
  • Collection summary
    • Complaint files, correspondence, memos and other papers, statistical summaries, radio scripts, and sound recordings, relating to the daily activities of BBB/Chicago, such as sponsoring educational programs for its membership of businesses and organizations, monitoring and helping to regulate fair advertising practices, gathering data and responding to consumer inquiries about businesses and charitable organizations operating in the Chicago area, mediating consumer complaints, and providing consumer education programs and literature. Includes substantial material about automobile dealerships, the insurance industry, and retail trade, and about the Chicago bureau's cooperation with better business bureaus elsewhere and with law enforcement agencies.
    • Files reflect social and technological changes as consumers became interested in such products as synthetic fabrics, color television, audio components, transistors, and health foods. Office files from the 1970s show the influence of the consumerism movement. Warnings about and descriptions of examples of many types of fraud recur throughout the years.
  • Acquisition information Gift of the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Chicago in several installments, beginning in 1974 (M1974.0037, M1976.0025, M1977.0038+, 2010.0025).
  • Finding Aids Note Descriptive inventory available online.
  • Location of Other Archival Materials Note Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Chicago photograph collection (1982.0126) and many BBB publications cataloged separately.
  • Names
    • Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Chicago Archives.
    • National Automobile Dealers Association.
  • Subjects
    • Automobile dealers Illinois Chicago Metropolitan Area 20th century.
    • Better business bureaus Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Better business bureaus United States 20th century.
    • Business enterprises Illinois Chicago Metropolitan Area 20th century.
    • Business ethics United States 20th century.
    • Charities Illinois 20th century.
    • Competition, Unfair Illinois Chicago Metropolitan Area 20th century.
    • Consumer complaints Illinois Chicago Metropolitan Area 20th century.
    • Consumer education Illinois Chicago Metropolitan Area 20th century.
    • Consumer protection Illinois Chicago Metropolitan Area 20th century.
    • Deceptive advertising Illinois Chicago Metropolitan Area 20th century.
    • Fraud Illinois Chicago Metropolitan Area 20th century.
    • Insurance Illinois 20th century.
    • Law enforcement United States 20th century.
    • Retail trade Illinois Chicago Metropolitan Area 20th century.
  • Geographic coverage Chicago Metropolitan Area (Ill.) Commerce 20th century.
  • Genre
    • Audiotapes. aat
    • Audiocassettes. aat
    • Correspondence. aat
    • Photographic prints. aat
    • Reports. aat
    • Scripts. aat
    • Statistics. aat
    • Videocassettes. aat
  • Geographic name United States Illinois Cook County.
  • Finding aid URL Finding aid available online http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/M-B/BBB-inv.htm