Montgomery Ward and Company records

  • Creator Names Montgomery Ward.
  • Title Montgomery Ward and Company records [manuscript], ca. 1872-2000.
  • Physical description
    • 75 linear ft. (171 boxes).
    • 12 sound recordings. (Originals).
  • Access and usage restrictions
    • Advance appointment with special permission required to consult materials in boxes 170-171.
    • Boxes 105-108 are closed until 2067.
    • For listening purposes, it is necessary to use a copy, not the original (and to have a listening copy made if one is not available).
  • Collection summary
    • Office files, primarily from Ward's central operations at 618 and 619 West Chicago Avenue in Chicago (Ill.), relating to Ward's mail order business, warehouses, and nationwide chain of department stores. Includes minutes of boards and committees (1913- ), files of corporate secretaries (1942- ), organization charts of administrators (1913-1998). Financial records include articles of incorporation, by laws, annual reports, various reports and analyses, shareholders' lists, SEC filings, and corporate records of ca. 60 Montgomery Ward subsidiaries.
    • Files also relate to design and printing of Ward's catalogs (which ended in 1985); the wide range of products that were sold; construction and establishment of office building, warehouses, and later of retail stores; late 20th-century switch to specialty retailing, remodeling old stores, opening new locations, and acquiring Lechmere. (Lechmere's corporate records 1948-1997 are included in this collection). Topics also include Ward's role as a pioneer in employee relations and in advertising; Chicago area social service activities; Ward's history and comparisons with competitors, especially during the years of mergers and buy-outs from mid to late 20th century.
    • Beginning in 1912, there are many sales training guides, employee handbooks and benefit plan agreements. Materials about advertising include early advertisements (1880s in photocopies), Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Wendy Ward campaigns, sponsorships of 4-H Club events and the 1976 Olympics, sports personality spokespersons, and celebration of Ward's 100th anniversary in 1972. Reports, clippings, etc. also relate to Sewell Avery's leadership of the company, his World War II confrontation with the federal government and disputes with Ward's board (1940's); proxy battle with a stockholder (1955).
    • Also includes essays, theses, notes, etc. (5 boxes, ca. 1955-1975) collected by Robert V. Guelich while Vice-President for Public Relations at Montgomery Ward; items about the history of Ward's and of Aaron Montgomery Ward, written by Mrs. Leslie Thorne Kountze, Fred Jameson, Mark Friedburger, and others; newsclippings containing feature stories on Ward's; Ward's press releases; in-house marketing studies and reports; and reports generated by consultants regarding Ward's market position in relation to other retail chains (Sears, Penney's, etc.) in Illinois and nationwide.
  • Acquisition information Most of the collection was purchased from Montgomery Ward (2001.0163). Some additional material was donated by Robert V. Guelich (1992.0469, boxes 158-162).
  • Finding Aids Note Descriptive inventory available online.
  • Location of Other Archival Materials Note Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the Montgomery Ward and Company collection of visual materials (2001.0163.2), a small collection of the Montgomery Ward catalog photographs, 1963 (1992.0469), and many Ward's catalogs and other publications cataloged separately.
  • Names
    • Montgomery Ward Archives.
    • Avery, Sewell Lee, 1873-1960.
    • Thorne family.
    • Ward, Montgomery, 1844-1913.
    • 618 West Chicago Avenue (Chicago, Ill.)
    • 619 West Chicago Avenue (Chicago, Ill.)
    • HomeImage by Lechmere (Retail stores)
    • Lechmere (Retail stores)
    • Marcor, Inc.
    • Montgomery Ward Administration Building (Chicago, Ill.)
    • Montgomery Ward Catalog House (Chicago, Ill.)
    • Avery, Sewell Lee, 1873-1960.
    • Guelich, Robert V. com
    • Kountze, Leslie Thorne, Mrs.
    • Friedburger, Mark.
    • Jameson, Fred.
    • Ward, Montgomery, 1844-1913.
    • HomeImage by Lechmere (Retail stores)
    • Lechmere (Retail stores)
    • Marcor, Inc.
  • Subjects
    • Department stores Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • Department stores Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Department stores United States 19th century.
    • Department stores United States 20th century.
    • Mail-order business Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • Mail-order business Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Mail-order business United States 19th century.
    • Mail-order business United States 20th century.
    • Marketing Illinois Chicago.
    • Retail trade Illinois Chicago.
    • Retail trade United States.
    • Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer (Fictitious character)
    • World War, 1939-1945 Illinois Chicago.
  • Geographic coverage
    • Chicago (Ill.) Commerce 19th century.
    • Chicago (Ill.) Commerce 20th century.
    • Chicago (Ill.) Economic conditions 19th century.
    • Chicago (Ill.) Economic conditions 20th century.
    • United States Economic conditions 19th century.
    • United States Economic conditions 20th century.
  • Genre
    • Audiotapes. aat
    • Catalogs. aat
    • Certificates. aat
    • Correspondence. aat
    • Financial records. aat
    • Histories. aat
    • Minutes. aat
    • Phonograph records. aat
    • Press releases. aat
    • Reports. aat
    • Scrapbooks. aat
  • Geographic name United States Illinois Cook County Chicago.
  • Finding aid URL Finding aid available online http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/M-M/Wards-inv.htm