Fisher, Bruce & Company Records
name: label: Creator
content: Fisher, Richard
label: Collector
content: Fisher, Bruce & Company.
label: Former owner
content: Fisher, Richard, Mrs.
label: Donor
content: Gatter, Carl
place: label: Place
content: Colon (Panama)
label: Place
content: Philadelphia (Pa.)
topic: label: Topic
content: Show windows
label: Topic
content: Stores, Retail
label: Topic
content: Table setting and decoration
label: Topic
content: Display of merchandise
label: Topic
content: Faience
label: Topic
content: Glassware
label: Topic
content: Glassware -- Belgian
label: Topic
content: Glassware -- Catalogs
label: Topic
content: Glassware -- Venetian
label: Topic
content: Importers
label: Topic
content: Advertising, Point-of-sale
label: Topic
content: Commemorative porcelain
label: Topic
content: Dams -- Panama
label: Topic
content: Ceramic tableware
label: Topic
content: Ceramics
label: Topic
content: Ceramic Industries -- French
label: Topic
content: Ceramic Industries -- Italian
label: Topic
content: Ceramic Industries -- Belgian
label: Topic
content: Ceramic Industries -- English
label: Topic
content: Ceramic Industries -- American
label: Topic
content: Locks and dams
label: Topic
content: Clay pot cookery
label: Topic
content: Plates (Tableware)
label: Topic
content: Porcelain, American
label: Topic
content: Porcelain figures
label: Topic
content: Porcelain, French
label: Topic
content: Porcelain, English
label: Topic
content: Porcelain -- Prices
label: Topic
content: Porcelain -- 20th century
label: Topic
content: Pottery figures
label: Topic
content: Pottery, American
label: Topic
content: Pottery, English
label: Topic
content: Pottery, French
label: Topic
content: Pottery, Italian
label: Topic
content: Pottery -- Prices
label: Topic
content: Pyrex
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: These records were donated to the Division of Domestic Life in February 1990 by Mr. Carl Gatter.  His father, Herman L. Gatter, had been employed by Fisher, Bruce, for many years.  The records were transferred to the Archives Center in March 1990.
creator: label: Creator
content: Fisher, Richard
label: Collector
content: Fisher, Bruce & Company.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Fisher, Bruce & Company Records
abstract: label: Summary
content: Fisher, Bruce & Company, importers of china, earthenware, and glassware, were located on Market Street, Philadelphia. The collection contains catalog pages and price lists for china, earthenware, and glassware imported from Belgium, Britain, France, and Italy, and some American ceramics.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Fisher, Bruce & Company, importers of china, earthenware, and glassware, were located on Market Street in Philadelphia.  The firm dates back at least to the year 1880, when it was known as Atherholt, Fisher & Company, and was located at 519 Market Street.  The principals in the firm were Thomas C. Atherholt, Samuel Fisher, and his son, Joseph G. A. Fisher.  By 1885 the company's name had changed to Fisher, Son & Company.  By 1889, after the addition of George H. Ruth to the firm, its name had changed to Fisher, Son & Ruth.  The following year, probably following the death of Samuel Fisher, Worthington Bruce joined the firm, and its name was changed to Fisher, Bruce & Company.  In the same year the firm relocated to 221 Market Street.

The company continued to prosper in its Market Street location, which extended back to Church Street.  By 1930, the adjoining building at 219 Market Street was purchased.  The ground floors of numbers 219 221 were used as a showroom and the company's offices were located upstairs.  The company stayed in the Fisher family's hands for the remainder of its existence, with E. Monroe Fisher as President of the firm beginning in 1930.  In the 1970s the company was sold and the business relocated to New Jersey.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3 Cubic feet (1 box
)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1920-1940s
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0370
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Sales catalogs
label: Type
content: Stereographs
label: Type
content: Legislation (legal concepts)
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Photographic prints
label: Type
content: Postcards
label: Type
content: Price lists
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: This collection is unprocessed.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sales catalogs
label: Genre/Form
content: Stereographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Legislation (legal concepts)
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 1940-1950
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographic prints
label: Genre/Form
content: Postcards -- 1900-1920
label: Genre/Form
content: Price lists
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: This collection primarily contains catalog pages and pricelists for china, earthenware, and glassware imported from Belgium, Britain, France, and Italy, as well as some American ceramics.  The catalog pages consist of color photographs of numbered ceramic items; the pricelists are separate pages keyed to the same numbers.  These records, which date from 1939 1940, are arranged in separate folders by nationality.

The Belgian material consists of one catalog page of glassware.  The British catalog pages depict Aynsley bone china (breakfast and tea sets), Grimwades earthenware, and "Toby" mugs of U.S. General McArthur and British General Wavell.  The French catalog pages show "Quimper" design faience as well as other china and earthenware pieces.  The Italian ceramics are primarily earthenware breakfast sets, bowls, baskets, vases, and donkey figures.  There is also some Venetian glassware.  The U.S. catalog pages show china breakfast sets and other tableware.

In addition, a photoprint in the collection shows the firm's building, ca. 1920s; a second photoprint shows a 1920s display of Pyrex ovenware in one of the building's display windows.