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Gimbel Brothers

 Organization

Dates

  • Existence: 1842-1987

Biography

Founded in 1842 by German Jewish immigrant peddler Adam Gimbel in 1842 in Vincennes, Indiana, by the 1920s Gimbel Brothers was the largest and most profitable department store retailer in America. The Gimbel’s name was known to everyone in New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Milwaukee, as well as millions of visitors to those cities. At its 1940s peak, over 500,000 people attended the Gimbel’s Thanksgiving Parade in Philadelphia, which predated the Thanksgiving Parade in New York, organized by arch-rival Macy’s. Millions more later watched the Gimbel’s and Macy’s parades on network television. Gimbel’s had a starring role in the popular 1947 movie Miracle on 34th Street.

Found in 22 Collections and/or Records:

Mary Ann Mobley, Miss America, 1959, 1959

 folder
Identifier: SC.411.1.192
Scope and Contents This folder contains a scrapbook from 1959 with newspaper and magazine clippings, promotional materials, photographs, and fabric swatches for the 1959 Miss America promotional tour with Mary Ann Mobley. Miss America's promotional tours were a collaboration between Miss America, Everfast Fabrics, Everglaze, and McCall's Patterns. In 1959, the tour visited Meier & Frank, Frederick & Nelson, Bullock's, F & R Lazarus, Marshall Field, Gimbel's, Hudson's, The Dayton Co., and Eaton's....
Dates: 1959

Miscellaneous Ads, 1944-1945, 1944-1945

 folder
Identifier: SC.411.1.81
Scope and Contents

This folder contains a scrapbook from 1944-1945 with newspaper clippings and photographs of women's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are ads for Shan-o-lin, Chambray, Gingham, Waffle Pique, and Erin, sold at various department stores including Gimbel's, Hudson's, and The Hecht Co.

Dates: 1944-1945

Miss America, 1955, 1955

 folder
Identifier: SC.411.1.174
Scope and Contents This folder contains a scrapbook from 1955 with newspaper and magazine clippings, promotional materials, photographs, and fabric swatches for the 1955 Miss America promotional tour with Lee Ann Merriwether. Miss America's promotional tours were a collaboration between Miss America, Everfast Fabrics, Everglaze, and McCall's Patterns. In 1955, the tour visited Rich's, The Dayton Company, L.S. Ayres, Gimbel's, Scruggs-Vandervoort-Barney, Frederick & Nelson, and Eaton's. There are...
Dates: 1955

Miss America, 1957, 1957

 folder
Identifier: SC.411.1.184
Scope and Contents This folder contains a scrapbook from 1957 with newspaper and magazine clippings, promotional materials, photographs, and fabric swatches for the 1957 Miss America promotional tour with Marian McKnight. Miss America's promotional tours were a collaboration between Miss America, Everfast Fabrics, Everglaze, and McCall's Patterns. In 1957, the tour visited Marshall Field, Meier & Frank, Bullock's, Frederick & Nelson, Gimbel's, Hudson's, and Eaton's. There are photographs at the...
Dates: 1957

Nancy Anne Fleming, Miss America, 1961, 1961

 folder
Identifier: SC.411.1.203
Scope and Contents This folder contains a scrapbook from 1961 with newspaper and magazine clippings, promotional materials, photographs, and fabric swatches for the 1961 Miss America promotional tour with Nancy Anne Fleming. Miss America's promotional tours were a collaboration between Miss America, Everfast Fabrics, Everglaze, and McCall's Patterns. In 1961, the tour visited Meier & Frank, Stern's, Eaton's, The Dayton Co., Hudson's, Stewart's, Block's, Bamberger's, Bullock's, Frederick & Nelson,...
Dates: 1961

Piece Goods Ads, 1948-1949 and 1949-1950, 1948-1950

 folder
Identifier: SC.411.1.133
Scope and Contents This folder contains a scrapbook from 1948-1950 with photographs, promotional materials, and magazine and newspaper clippings for drapery fabrics and women's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are ads for Decorator Fabrics, Poplin, Crashmere, Sandringham, Gingham, Batik Prints, and rayons. There are photographs of store displays, including Gimbel's and Hudson's, and programs for several fashion shows, including "Cotton Sets the Southern Mood" Vogue Patterns/Everfast show at Hudson's, the...
Dates: 1948-1950

Ready to Wear Ads, 1945, 1945

 folder
Identifier: SC.411.1.88
Scope and Contents

This folder contains a scrapbook from 1945 with newspaper clippings for women's and children's ready-to-wear fashions from Everfast Fabrics. There are ads for fashions designed by Tina Leser, Emily Wilkens, and Mary Stevens, made with Erin, Sandringham, Chambray, Waffle Pique, Crashmere, and Dragonia fabrics.

Dates: 1945

Retail Stores - Gimbels, 1959-1986, 1959-1986

 folder
Identifier: SC.FITA.3.20.7.1.144
Scope and Contents

Photocopied, pasted, and laminated articles concerning

the retailer Gimbels, including articles from Chain Store

Age and HFD. Folder also contains three Gimbels

promotional booklets.

Dates: 1959-1986

"See how America's great stores feature fabrics by Everfast," 1945, 1945

 folder
Identifier: SC.411.1.87
Scope and Contents

This folder contains a scrapbook from 1945 with newspaper clippings for women's wear and children's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are fashions designed by Emily Wilkens and ads from stores around the country, including Gimbel's, Bonwit Teller, Arnold Constable, Franklin Simon, and B. Altman.

Dates: 1945

"Sunmere" by Everfast / "Mistysheer" by Everfast, 1945-1946, 1945-1946

 folder
Identifier: SC.411.1.98
Scope and Contents

This folder contains a scrapbook from 1945-1946 with newspaper clippings, fabric swatches, and photographs for women's wear made with Sunmere and Mistysheer fabrics by Everfast. There are photographs of displays at stores, including Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co., Frederick & Nelson, Joseph Horne, Gimbel Brothers, Macy's, Bamberger's, and the Halle Bros.

Dates: 1945-1946