Hart, Schaffner and Marx Records
name: label: Creator
content: Hart, Schaffner and Marx.
label: Names
content: Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America.
label: Former owner
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Costume
label: Names
content: Abt, Levi
label: Names
content: Hart, Harry
label: Names
content: Hart, Max
label: Names
content: Hillman, Sidney
label: Names
content: Marx, Marcus
label: Names
content: Schaffner, Joseph
place: label: Place
content: Chicago (Illinois) -- 1900-1960
label: Place
content: Illinois -- 1900-1960
topic: label: Topic
content: Clothing trade -- 1900-1960
label: Topic
content: Clothing stores -- 1900-1960
label: Topic
content: Industrial relations
label: Topic
content: Men's clothing industry -- 1900-1960
label: Topic
content: Men's clothing
label: Topic
content: Retail trade -- 1900-1960
label: Topic
content: Trade-unions -- 1900-1960
label: Topic
content: Sweatshops
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection donated by Hart, Schaffner and Marx, 1973.
creator: label: Creator
content: Hart, Schaffner and Marx.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Hart, Schaffner and Marx Records
abstract: label: Summary
content: Records from the firm of Hart, Schaffner, and Marx men's clothiers.
bioghist: label: Biographical/Historical note
content: In 1872, twenty-one year old Harry Hart and his 18-year-old brother Max opened a retail store for men's clothing on State St. in Chicago, Illinois.  In 1879 two brothers in law Levi Abt and Marcus Marx joined them.  Eight years later Levi Abt left and Joseph Schaffner, a cousin of the Harts, took his place.  Thus in 1887 Hart, Schaffner and Marx was born.

The transition from retailing only to manufacturing evolved from clothing that was made to sell in their own store.  There was an apparent need for facilities to supply ready made men's clothing to interested retailers and the business prospered.

High quality workmanship and improved employee management relationships were among early goals of the company.  A labor agreement of 1911, initiated by Joseph Schaffner, was developed in cooperation with Sidney Hillman, then a cutter in a Hart, Schaffner and Marx factory.  As a result Joseph Schaffner emerged as a leader and humanitarian and Sidney Hillman led the way for workers to cooperate with management wherever possible.  The 1911 agreement became the model for the men's clothing industry and later for women's clothing.  It was the foundation on which the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America was built and helped to rid the United States of sweatshops in the clothing industry.  Sidney Hillman in later years won world acclaim as a labor leader and became an advisor on labor relations to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Hart, Schaffner and Marx became known for a number of "firsts" in the clothing industry in addition to its peaceful labor relations.  The firm introduced a one price policy permitting no cut rates or better prices for any one; it advertised nationally; it introduced the tropical weight suit for summer wear.  The company conceived and carried out selling with swatches of materials thus doing away with the practice of salesmen using trunk loads of clothing to demonstrate their line.  It was the first manufacturer to offer proportional fit clothing made for men of different build as well as different size.  Hart, Schaffner and Marx was also among the first to develop and expand its own retail division.  By the firm's 75th anniversary in 1962 it had 78 stores in 37 metropolitan areas inspite of being thought of primarily as a manufacturer.  Based in Chicago it did business throughout the United States.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 6 Cubic feet (17 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1901-1955
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Costume (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) on October 8, 1991.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0426
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Sales letters
label: Type
content: Stylebooks
label: Type
content: Account books
label: Type
content: Cashbooks
label: Type
content: Retailers
label: Type
content: Sales catalogs
label: Type
content: Business records
label: Type
content: Vouchers
label: Type
content: Voucher register
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Divided into 4 series.

Series 1: Company History, Advertising and Style Books

Series 2: Trade Board Decisions, 1921-34

Series 4: Company Records, 1903-1946

Series 4: Material Swatches, undated
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Grace Angle, 1992
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sales letters
label: Genre/Form
content: Stylebooks -- 1900-1960
label: Genre/Form
content: Account books -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Cashbooks -- 1900-1950
label: Genre/Form
content: Retailers -- 1900-1960
label: Genre/Form
content: Sales catalogs -- 1900-1960
label: Genre/Form
content: Business records -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Vouchers -- 1900-1960
label: Genre/Form
content: Voucher register
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents note
content: The collection falls roughly into 4 parts.  Series 1 is primarily composed of the company's history and its advertising, including a number of style books.  The historical materials highlight the firm's importance in the men's clothing industry; the style books are a valuable record of styles in men's clothing during the first half of the 20th century.  The Warshaw Collection of Americana contains a number of Hart, Schaffner and Marx style books from 1903 1928 that duplicate a number in this collection.  The miscellaneous records in Box 3 relate primarily to a failed retail store that was placed under new management and reports on naval uniforms and government shipments in the first half of the 1940's.  Though obviously incomplete, these records illustrate that the company manufactured military uniforms during World War II as well as civilian clothing.

The Trade Board decisions in Series 2 (February 1921 Febuary 1934) provide a colorful picture of early labor management relations and the everyday incidents in the work place that came before the Trade Board.  They are also illustrative of good labor management relations that were developed very early in the history of organized labor.

The company's records, kept in minute detail, in notebooks, by hand, comprise Series 3, the largest part of the collection.  They are testimony to the many operations involved in the profitable production of a suit, coat, vest, knickers, or trousers that are part of men's clothing.  Large books record items such as tailoring specifications for various articles of clothing, hours worked and earnings for specific operations, piece work lists by article and operation for various shops.  There are also account books, cash books, and a voucher register.  These appear to be illustrative rather than complete records.

Series 4 consists of 2 boxes of materials of the kind used in the manufacture of men's clothing.  They have been kept with the records because Hart, Schaffner and Marx was the first manufacturer to have its salesmen work from swatches of material instead of trunk loads of clothing, an innovation soon followed by other manufacturers.  

All of the actual company records are prior to 1955.  There are a few pieces of descriptive material of a later date.

The arrangement is chronological where appropriate; otherwise, it is alphabetical.  Many of the records in Series 3 are handwritten.