Box 1

Scope and Contents This folder contains primarily notated design process sketches of garland, pedestals, light fixtures and other display elements--some of them early rough sketches--done in pencil, pen, marker and crayon on various types of notepaper. Most are undated, though some indicate they were for Christmas windows in 1982, 1984 or 1985. Some design sketches of baubles and lanterns have Polaroids of actual objects attached to the drawing. There are two sheets with samples attached; one has small...

Scope and Contents This folder contains one document, a draft of a speech given by Birch on July 13, 1985 to the National Retail Merchants' Association (now the National Retail Federation). The speech describes Bloomingdale's 1982 series of "America the Beautiful" window displays (which were created in partnership with institutions such as the Museum of American Folk Art, NASA, and the American Motion Picture industry, as well as showcasing the work of American fashion designers including Bill Blass, Perry...

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This folder contains 19 photographs (Polaroids and prints) documenting a trip Birch took to Japan in 1984, a large birthday party for him in 1985, and some undated photos of window prop items. There is also a 7" vinyl record, a recording of "My Love (a song of fantasy)" by Paul Dante, with a personal note and drawings on the paper sleeve, addressed to Birch and signed by Dante dated 1983.

Scope and Contents This folder contains correspondence with designers, colleagues and vendors, mainly congratulations and thank you notes for Birch's featuring items in Bloomingdale's windows; there are also form-type letters from Birch to various designers and vendors. Correspondents include Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Bill Blass, Betsey Johnson, Harry Callahan, Marvin Traub, Mary McFadden, Metropolitan Opera Association and the Franklin Furnace Archive, thanking him for a donation he made to them via...

Scope and Contents This folder contains the spiral bound Tobe report from Dec 10, 1985, with a card attached congratulating Birch on the "page 1 article" titled "A Salute to Bloomingdale's Window Dressing!"; correspondence from Inspiration Press Corp. dated Oct 1983 congratulating Birch on being featured in their new book "The Best no. 2" and with color reproductions of 4 window displays by Birch in the book; three magazine tears of an article from New York magazine titled "Making Scenes" by Marilyn Bethany,...

Scope and Contents This folder contains a full issue of a Japanese graphics/marketing publication titled "Pronto", with both English and Japanese text; a newsprint publication in Japanese only with photographs of Bloomingdale's Japan themed store displays; a newsprint clipping from WWD from Aug 2 1982 about the Willow Grove Park Mall; internal handwritten notes and memos; and a full issue of Japanese newspaper, Yomiuri Shinbun, from Mar 10 1984, with a full article about Birch titled "Fashion of the World...

Scope and Contents This folder contains what mostly appears to be inspiration research in the form of magazine tears, postcards and unidentified material samples; images include Art Deco style graphics, Bruno Zehnder photographs of global cultures, English dandy Stephen Tennant, glassware, and a feature on Coco Chanel. There are some full article tears, including an article about window display titled "Illusions to Order" by Cathy Silver, published in Town and Country in the Feb 1985 issue, and an article in...

Scope and Contents This folder contains mainly photographic prints. There are multiple images of mannequins (some stylized heads only, others full body "portraits" of them wearing clothing, others in floor display setups in store with holiday decoration behind), as well as photographs of themed displays with bicycles titled "Cycle Jogging", Japan-themed displays from Willow Grove Park Mall, an exterior street-level shot of an unidentified Bloomingdale's location, and a graffiti painted motorcycle on...