Records of The Bailey, Banks and Biddle Company, 1832-2003 [bulk, 1880-1980].

ArchivalResource

Bailey, Banks & Biddle Company (Philadelphia, Pa.). Records of The Bailey, Banks and Biddle Company, 1832-2003 [bulk, 1880-1980].

Records of The Bailey, Banks and Biddle Company, 1832-2003 [bulk, 1880-1980].

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/537302413

The Bailey Banks & Biddle records (81 boxes) were donated to Hagley in August 2009. The materials were collected and maintained in-house as a combination of archival documents and historical research files and used primarily for public relations purposes. The only basic corporate documents are the minute books of The Bailey, Banks and Biddle Company from 1894 to 1929, and a file of agreements, copyrights, and patents (1891-1977). The bulk of the collection consists of a fairly complete set of records pertaining to diamond sales and remounting. BB&B diamond sales registers, 1879-1969, list the sale reference number, item description, weight, price, to whom sold, date, and sales person's number. BB&B diamond remount ledgers, 1924-1947, list customer name, date, description of repair/redesign work and related information. The earliest record is a sales register for Bailey & Kitchen, 1832-1833, listing customers' last name in alphabetical order with sale reference numbers. Files containing class rings contracts document purchases by military academies and high schools and colleges. Custom design ledgers, 1910-1950, contain descriptions and artwork of pins, medals, and rings for military and civilian organizations. There is also an historical file of selected correspondence (1849-1968), mostly with institutional customers. Promotional records include BB&B catalogs and brochures (1917-2003 with gaps), advertisements that appeared in the Ladies Home Journal, 1905-1906; and newspaper advertisements, 1954-1955, 1979-1985. There is also a long run of catalogs (1922-1954) from the Slavick Jewelry Company, founded in Los Angeles in 1917 and acquired by Zale's in 1964. The collection also includes architectural drawings for the remodeling of the Chestnut Street store, reference books on English plate and silver, and BB&B research files with information about its history, medals and decorations, and biographical sketches of famous clients from James Buchanan to George H. W. Bush.

59 linear ft.

Hagley Museum & Library