University of Wyoming
Sears, Roebuck and Company was established in 1893 by businessman Richard W. Sears after he sold a previous watch and jewelry business that he ran with Alvah C. Roebuck as an employee. The new company operated under the same premise until 1895 when Julius Rosenwald bought out the company’s interest and reorganized it to accommodate his clothing manufacturing background.
Sears, Roebuck and Company advertised to a market consisting of isolated farms and villages that relied on not only affordable goods, but also mail-order merchandise. Sears served as president of the company until 1909 when Rosenwald succeeded him. The first Sears retail store opened in 1925 after Robert E. Wood came aboard and took great interest in the automobile, and other storefronts opened in quick succession thereafter. Sears’ success grew exponentially after the conclusion of WWII during the era’s economic boom—becoming the largest retailer in the country--and experienced very little competition until the 1980s.
Collection contains ten television slides; glossy prints which include an 1897 catalog and watch, talking machine, ladies’ shoes, washer, dog-power, ladies’ suit, and baby carriage advertisements; three copies of a television slide script; five copies of background for catalog microfilms; sixty-two rolls of microfilm; and a basic news release with corrections.
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Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
This material was received from W. F. McCurdy in March 1962.
Sears, Roebuck and Company Catalog Collection, 1929-1980, RB 020, Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives Research Center, University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The American Heritage Center is in the process of converting its older container lists to a more accessible format. This link is to an older version of a container list for 1 box.