Zahn's Department Store, Racine, Wisconsin, records, 1921-1950

Author / Creator

Zahn's Department Store (Racine, Wis.)

Available as

Physical

Summary

Records of a Racine, Wisconsin, department store established in 1898 and closed in 1982. Most materials date from the 1920s and 1930s and are significant for their documentation of advertising and ...

Records of a Racine, Wisconsin, department store established in 1898 and closed in 1982. Most materials date from the 1920s and 1930s and are significant for their documentation of advertising and marketing techniques, and as a representation of the designs and cultural values of those decades. Included are materials used in merchandising studies conducted in conjunction with the University of Michigan's Bureau of Business Research; advertising and promotional materials, including 66 monthly issues of "Zahnettes," 1921-1928, and other direct mail advertising; blueprints and plans of the store, 1927-1937; materials concerning store supplies and fixtures; and suppliers' catalogs and fliers. Also included are a small number of personal papers of the store's founder, Edward Zahn (1865-1930), and one of his sons, Russell Victor Zahn (1901-1993). Photographs include views of store display windows, the store lunch counter, lingerie department, and a children's fashion show.

Show More