Oregon Historical Society, Davies Family Research Library
Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97205
Phone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
E-mail: libreference@ohs.org
Mss
2866
Meier and
Frank (Portland, Or.)
Meier and Frank Company
collection
1855-2006
25 cubic feet
35 document cases, 7 flat boxes, 6 custom boxes,
11 oversize folders
Records of and relating to the Meier and
Frank Company, a prominent department store in Portland, Oregon. Includes
selections from the company's financial and administrative records;
photographs; advertising materials; issues of the store's employee newsletter,
The daily bulletin; ephemera; land
records; plaques for Rose Parade floats; and Safety Program records from
2002-2006.
Materials in the collection are inEnglish
Historical note
Meier & Frank was the premier department store in Portland,
Oregon, from the late 1800s to 2006. The store originated in 1857, when Aaron
Meier opened a small mercantile establishment on SW Front and Yamhill. In 1873
Sigmund Frank became a partner in the enterprise, and the store expanded
rapidly as the city grew. In 1898 Meier & Frank moved to a large new
five-story building at SW Fifth Avenue and Morrison Street, and between 1909
and 1915 this original structure was replaced with the complex that currently
(in 2007) fills the entire block. Even greater expansion took place beginning
in the 1950s, as branches were opened in Salem (1955), Portland’s Lloyd Center
(1960), Eugene (1969), Vancouver, Washington (1977) and elsewhere. But by the
mid 1960s the store was faced with competition from nation-wide chains, and the
firm was sold to the May Company (later Robinsons-May) in 1966. The store
continued to bear the Meier and Frank name, but with the merger of
Robinsons-May with Macy’s in the mid-2000s, the Meier & Frank name was
finally superseded by the Macy’s trademark in 2006.
The collection consists of a wide variety of materials, although it
represents only a relatively small selection of the company's overall records.
Included are a small number of photographs, primarily documenting the 75th
anniversary of the store in 1932 and various events in the mid-1990s. Among
these are: a set of images by noted Portland photograph Walter Boychuk showing
the interior of the Portland store in 1932, shortly after an extensive
remodeling; a group of photographs showing the store's display windows in 1912;
and a photo album featuring displays and events relating to the store's 75th
anniversary in 1932.
Among the general files is an important notebook, 1904, listing the
members of Congregation Beth Israel, Portland's most prominent Jewish
synagogue. Also among the general files is a notebook of Julius L. Meier from
1916, scrapbooks, and other ephemera. A run of the store's employee newsletter,
The daily bulletin from 1928-1966 (with
gaps) provides details of the day-to-day running of the enterprise. War
advertising materials illustrate the store's publicity activities during World
War II. Financial records date primarily from the 1920s through the 1940s and
include extensive indexes of people holding Meier and Frank charge accounts, as
well as a collection of the company's stock certificates issued between 1937
and 1944. The collection also includes award plaques for the store's Portland
Rose Festival parade floats, with pictures of the floats; and saftey program
manuals from 2002 to 2006.
The collection is arranged in the following series:
- Series A: photographs, 1855-2000
- Series B: General files, 1887-2005
- Series C:
Daily bulletins, 1928-1965
- Series D: War advertising program, circa 1941-1945
- Series E: Land records, 1880-1938
- Series F: Financial records, 1871-1965
- Series G: Catalogs and other printed books, 1917-1953
- Series H: Safety program notebooks, 2002-2006
- Series "I": Plaques, 1972-2002
The collection is open to the public.
The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the
Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication,
and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library
prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold
copyright to all the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission
for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the
copyright holders.
Meier and Frank Company collection, Mss 2866, Oregon Historical
Society Research Library
The bulk of the collection was found in the store's offices when it
was acquired by Macy's in 2006. These materials were given to a descedant of
one of the firm's original founders, who passed them on to the Oregon
Historical Society in 2007.
Acquired in 1990 and 2007, Library Accessions 19930 and 26379
Accessions from 1990 and 2007 were integrated into a single collection
at the time of processing.
A plastic holder for charge account forms, circa 1965, and framed
portraits of Aaron Meier and Sigmund Frank, were transferred to the Artifact
Collections of the Oregon Historical Society.
A collection of photographs of the Meier and Frank Portland store is
designated Org. Lot 695 in the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Additional images of the store and its personnel can be found in the Library's
Self-Indexing photograph files.
Personal papers of Julius L. Meier are designated as Mss 2683 in the
Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
Boychuk,
Walter, 1886-1967
Meier,
Julius L., 1874-1937
Frank family
Meier family
Meier and
Frank (Portland Or.)--Archives.
Meier and
Frank (Portland, Or.)--Photographs.
Congregation Beth Israel (Portland, Or.)
Portland
(Or.)--History.
Advertising--Oregon--Portland
Department
stores--Oregon--Portland
Display of
merchandise--Oregon--Portland
Portland Rose
Festival.
Advertising and Marketing
City
and Town Life
Fashion
Jewish Americans
Oregon
Portland
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Photograph
albums
Photographs
Plaques (flat
objects)
Scrapbooks
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection.
Series A
Photographs
1855-2000
1/1
Blazers Wives party--Color snapshots
1994
1/2
Bridal fair, Eugene, Oregon--Color snapshots
1988
1/3
Cocktail party--Color snapshots
circa 1995
1/4
Cocktail party--Color snapshots
circa 1995
Extra oversize 7
Construction of wing of store
circa 1915
36/1
Diamond jubilee photograph album
1932
Includes photographs of interiors, exteriors, and displays
36/2
Historic delivery wagon
circa 1958
1/5
Event with executives--Color snapshots
circa 1995
1/6
Fashion show--Color snapshots
circa 1995
Oversize folder 1
May Company executives
1983
Extra oversize 7
Meier & Frank Association picnic, Government Island
(cirkut print)
1911 July 23
39/1
Photographs of store interiors
circa 1908
Copies of vintage prints, formerly mounted on large display
board, probably for an in-store display.
39/2
Oversize photographs
circa 1909-1913
1961
Includes: series of display windows designed by Edward F.
Petersen, 1912; construction site of Portland building, circa 1909; and Rose
Festival float, 1961.
Extra Oversize 1
Rose Festival Floral Parade float
circa 1940
Photo of horse-drawn float, possibly from late 1930s or 40s,
mounted on board
1/7
Rose Festival Floral Parades--Color
snapshots
circa 1993
undated
1/8
Sale photos--B&W prints
circa 1950
1/9
Salem store--B&W snapshots
1966
Oversize folder 2
Scrapbook
1924-1966
Oversize folder 3
Scrapbook
1965-1966
42/2-3
Scrapbook of foms and prospectuses, Meier & Frank
Investment Company
1917-1961
1/10
Slides of Rose Festival Floral Parades, Christmas party,
Haloween, advertising layouts, etc.
circa 1980-2000
1/11
Trade show--Color snapshots
circa 1995
1/12
Walter Boychuk photographs of remodeled store
interiors
1932
These photos were used in an advertising supplment in the
Oregonian, 1932 October 2.
1/13
Winfield (?) party and trade show--Color
snapshots
circa 1995
1/14
General photographs
circa 1850-1995
Includes construction of building, 1913-1914.
Series B
General files
1887-2005
2/1
Advertisements
circa 1910-1979
2/2
Advertising brochures--History of the store, charge
account information
1959
undated
Oversize folder 4
Advertising campaign materials, 122nd
anniversary
circa 1977-1978
undated
39/3-4
Advertising campaign materials, including drawings,
past-ups, magazines, and clippings
circa 1978-1988
undated
Extra oversize 1
Advertising posters
1967
1991
undated
Extra oversize 2
Advertising newspaper supplements
1905
1932
1959
1979
42/1
Bag and box samples
circa 1985
2/3
Banking procedures
1977
2/4
Centennial program
1957
2/5
"A Christmas to remember"--Campaign notebook
1975
2/6
"Cinderella and the cat"--Sheet music and
programs
1924-1928
Musical production by students of the Portland Public Schools.
Materials were found loose in a scrapbook.
2/7
Clippings
1919-1999
Includes clippings regarding sale of the store to May Department
Stores, 1966.
2/8
Congregation Beth Israel membership book
1904
2/9
"Cooks kitchen" catalog
1977
2/10
Customer registers (blank)
circa 1960
2/11
Correspondence concerning Amos Parrish Company and Meier
& Frank centennial promotion
1957
2/12
"Diamond jubilee" of Kaufman's
1946
2/13
Employee directory
circa 1902-1904
2/14
Garment directory
1887-1890
3/1
General materials
1889-1970
undated
Primarily ephemera, certificates, miscellaneous letters
3/2
"I've seen the largest store in the world"--Illustrated
pamphlet from Macy's, New York City
1939
3/3
Keys
undated
3/4
Menus from store restaurants
circa 1980-1990
39/5
Menus--Oversize
1984
undated
3/5
Meier and Frank Training Department--NCR Class 53
optical font data control register
1973
3/6
Meier and Frank Training Department--Telephone systems
manual
1971
3/7
Meier and Frank Training Department--Systems training
manual
1965
3/8
Notebook of Julius L. Meier
1916
3/9
Notebook of Julius L. Meier--Original leather
cover
1916
Extra oversize 7
Placards with company logo, probably from
1980s
undated
3/10
Postcard of downtown Portland store
circa 1970
3/11
Receipts for warehouse construction, NW 14th Ave. &
Irving St.
1922
3/12
Receipts, general
1911-1930
Extra oversize 6
Scale drawings (3) of 2 store elevations and Tea
Room
1931
Extra oversize 3
Scrapbook: Meier & Frank Company activities and
promotions
1951
3/13
The star (in-house magazine, 2
issues)
2005 February-May
3/14
Teaching guide
1973
3/15
Telephone directory of store personnel
circa 1971-1975
Series C
Daily bulletin (store newsletter for
employees)
1928-1965
4/1
1928 December 3-24
These issues titled
Toy Town Bulletin
4/2
1931 October-December
4/3
1935 April-June
4/4
1935 October-December
4/5
1936 April-June
4/6
1936 July-September
4/7
1936 October-December
4/8
1938 January-March
4/9
1938 April-June
4/10
1938 July-September
4/11
1938 October-December
5/1
1938-1939
These issues titled
Toy Town Bulletin
5/2
1940 November 25-December 24
These issues titled
Toy Town Bulletin
5/3
1942 November 30-December 17
5/4
1944 January-March
5/5
1944 July-September
5/6
1944 October-December
5/7
1945 October-December
5/8
1954 January 2-March 31
5/9
1954 April 1-June 30
5/10
1954 July 1-September 30
5/11
1954 October-December
5/12
1957 March 20-26
5/13
1958 January-March
6/1
1958 April-June
6/2
1958 July-September
6/3
1958 October-December
6/4
1965
6/5
1965
Salem store only
Series D
War advertising program materials
circa 1941-1945
7/1
Volume 3
1944 February 23-June 2
7/2
Volume 4
1944 June 3-September 10
7/3
Volume 5
1944 September 11-December 12
Extra oversize 4
Scrapbook titled "Book 3"
circa 1941-1945
Extra oversize 5
Scrapbook titled "Book 4"
circa 1941-1945
Series E
Land records
1880-1938
Includes deeds, mortgage records, abstracts of title, and other
records.
General records
8/1
1900-1914
8/2
1915-1919
8/3
1920-1924
8/4
1925-1929
8/5
1930-1935
8/6
Auto Freight Terminal Company
1924-1929
Oversize folder 1
Clackamas County (Or.), Kulper
property--Blueprints
circa 1920
8/7
Couch's Addition, Block 120
1925
Oversize folder 1
Hamilton, Louise E.--Certificate of delinquincy,
Highland Park
1915
8/8
Jewish Shelter Home
1920-1938
8/9
Rethlefsen, Lena C.
1880-1922
9/1
Taylor Street (Caples Hotel)
1928-1933
9/2
Warehouse, 15th & Irving--Contractors
1922-1923
9/3
Waverleigh Heights
1910-1915
9/4
Willamette & Columbia River Towing
Company
1908-1931
Abstracts of title
9/5
Klickitat County
1890-1911
9/6
Lots 1 & 4, Block 97, Couch's Addition
1920
9/7
Aaron Meier estate
circa 1922
9/8
SW Broadway and Taylor Street
circa 1902
9/9
"Madrona" subdivision
1935
9/9
Irvington Park
1865-1919
Series F
Financial records
1871-1965
Charge account indexes
Ledgers containing names of customers and their addresses
10/1
1907-1916
10/2
1909 September-1911
11/1
1916 May 19-1919 August
11/2
1919 August-1922 March
11/3-4
circa 1918-1926
12/1
1926 February-1931 April 16
12/2
1931 April 16-1938 April 16
13/1
1938 April 16-1943 May 1
13/2
1943 May 1-1947 March 1
14/1
1947 March 1-1953 March 31
44/1
1953 April-1957 September 1
Banking materials
15/1
First National Bank, account books
1885-1888
15/2
Ranley's Rhode Island Reds
1921-1923
15/3
Cornelia L. Meier Estate, Meier and Frank Profit
Sharing Retirement Trust
1956-1957
1962-1964
15/4
General passbooks and statements
1922-1965
Ledgers
15/5
"Stock book"
1871-1873
This volume was found in the store basement along with other
discarded records in 1980s, after sale of the firm to May Co.
15/6
Accounts of family members and other
information
1901-1933
40/1
Ledger
circa 1924-1937
41/1-2
Ledgers of daily sales (2 volumes)
1921-1944
1945-1949
15/7
Profit and loss; real estate; other
information
circa 1912-1924
16/1
Meier & Frank Investment
Company--Journal
1912-1933
16/2
Welfare funds ledger
1925-1932
16/3
Aaron M. Frank farm
1927-1931
16/4
Ledger
1937
17/1
"P.J. Misc." (payable journal?)
1942-1945
17/2
"P.J. Misc." (payable journal?)
1945-1951
40/2
Ledgers
1949-1956
These materials are closed for research until 2046.
45/1
Standard monthly journal
1937-1946
46/1
Accounts
1893-1895
47/1
General ledger, Meier & Frank Company
1894-1896
48/1
Furniture--Stock book--Warehouse
circa 1910
Insurance materials
17/3
Report of insurance, Meier & Frank,
Inc.
1939 November 1
17/4
Insurance apparisal of Meier & Frank
Co.
1952 August 20
17/5
Insurance appraisal of Meier & Frank Co., Location
3
1940 November 4
17/5
Insurance appraisal of Meier & Frank,
Inc.
1953 May 29
43/1
Register of insurance policies
1942-1944
Stockholders materials
18/1
Legal proxies
1927
18/2
Stock dividends
1924-1925
Stock certificates
18/3
Stock to family members
1921-1938
18/4
Certificates to Eleanor Yale and Foster &
Marshall
1937
1947
18/5
Certificates C-1245 SF501-SF1000
1937-1938
18/6
Certificates C-1245 SF1001-SF1501
1938-1944
18/7
Certificates C-1245 P1001-P1500
1937-1939
18/8
Certificates C-1245 P01501-P01750
1937-1938
19/1
Certificates C-1245 P01751-P02000
1938-1939
19/2
Certificates C-1245 P02001-P02250
1939-1940
19/3
Certificates C-2145 P01-P0250
1937
19/4
Certificates C-2145 P0251-P0500
1937
19/5
Certificates C-2145 P0501-P01000
1937
20/1
Certificates C-2145 P01001-P01250
1937
20/2
Certificates C-2145 P01251-P01500
1937
20/3
Certificates C-2145 P02251-P02500
1940-1942
20/4
Certificates C-2145 P02501-P02750
1942
20/5
Certificates C-2145 P02751-P03524
1943-1946
21/1
Certificates C-2145 P992, P995,
P1501-P2000
1937-1942
21/2
Certificates C-2145 P2001-P2500
1942-1944
21/3
Certificates C-2145 PU1-PU50
1937
21/4
Certificates C-2145 PU51-PU100
1937
21/5
Certificates C-2145 PU101-PU250
1937-1944
21/6
Certificates C-2145 SF01-SF0500
1937
21/7
Certificates C-2145 SF0501-SF0500
1937
21/8
Certificates C-2145 SF1-SF500
1937
Series G
Catalogs and other printed books
1917-1953
22/1
Lenox china catalog
1922
37/1
Lenox china catalog
1937
38/1
Sterling flatware pattern
index
1953
22/2
Bentley's complete phrase code
book
circa 1918
22/3
Western Union telegraph
code
1917
23/1
A.B.C. code, 5th
edition
1919
23/2
Customs regulations
1937
Series H
Safety program notebooks
2002-2006
24/1
Emergency plans
undated
24/2-3
2002 February-July
24/4-6
2002 August-October
25/1-2
2002 November-2003 January
25/3
2003 February-March
25/4
2003 April-May
25/5
2003 June-July
26/1
2003 August
26/2
2003 October
26/3
2003 November-December
26/4
2004 January
26/5
2004 February
27/1-5
2004 March-2004 October
28/1-5
2004 November-2005 May
29/1-5
2005 January-2006 January
Series "I"
Plaques
1972-2002
Rose Festival Floral Parade plaques for Meier &
Frank floats (with photographs of floats)
30/1-4
1972-1975
31/1-4
1976-1979
32/1-4
1981-1984
33/1-4
1989-1993
34/1-4
1994-1998
35/1-3
1999-2002
35/4
Associate of the month
2002
35/5
Manager of the month
2002