Harry E. Bell and Faye Bell papers

Collection

Identifier: Coll817

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The bulk of the collection consists of the personal papers, business records, and ephemera of clothing retailers Harry E. Bell and Faye Bell, and of advertising and publicity materials for apparel firms whose wares the Bells sold, particularly the Hansen Glove Corporation. The Bells' business papers include correspondence and account books. Personal papers include Harry E. Bell’s diaries, which primarily note where he was on a given day; photographs; hotel stationery collected by the Bells; and self-improvement publications owned by Harry E. Bell. The collection also includes papers and advertising materials relating to the Hirsch-Weis Manufacturing Company’s White Stag Line, and its work with the Adolph L. Bloch Advertising Agency. It is unclear whether the Bells sold White Stag items or were otherwise connected with either Hirsch-Weis or the Bloch agency. The collection also includes papers and photographs concerning other individuals and non-apparel firms; their connection to the Bells, if any, is unknown.

Dates

circa 1900-2010
Majority of material found within 1913-1967

Creator

Bell, Harry E., 1882-1964 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Biographical Note

Harry E. Bell was born in 1882 in Nebraska. Faye Bell, born Goldie Faye Hines, was born in 1900 in Missouri. The two married in December 1925, and both worked as clothing retailers and representatives for apparel manufacturers; Harry was also the proprietor of Bell’s Men’s Wear in Bellingham, Washington. The couple resided in Portland, Oregon, from the 1940s onward, first at the Prince of Wales Hotel on Alder Street, and then at a residence on NE 37th Avenue. They frequently traveled for work. Harry was a member of the Masonic Lodge and Elks Club in Bellingham. Harry E. Bell and Faye Bell died in Portland in 1964 and 1987, respectively.

Administrative History

The Hansen Glove Corporation was a glove manufacturer based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was incorporated in 1901 by O. C. Hansen under the name O. C. Hansen Mfg. Co. The name was changed to Hansen Glove Corporation in 1930. The company is no longer in business as of 2019.

Administrative History

The history of the White Stag company begins in 1931, when Harold S. Hirsch began to manufacture ski apparel at his family's firm, the Hirsch-Weis Manufacturing Company. The name "White Stag" was a literal translation of the names Weis and Hirsch. The line expanded to other types of sportswear, and in 1956 Hirsch-Weis changed its name to White Stag. The firm was purchased by the clothing firm Warner Brothers Company (later Warnaco) in 1966.

Administrative History

The Adolph L. Bloch Advertising Agency was founded in 1922 by Adolph L. Bloch of Portland, Oregon.

Extent

9.65 Cubic Feet (4 record cartons; 2 legal document cases; 1 card file box (12 x 6 x 4); 2 card file boxes (12 x 8 x 5); 1 card file box (12 x 9 x 6); 6 flat boxes (13 x 16); 1 flat box (19 x 25); 1 map folder)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Papers and ephemera of spouses Harry E. Bell and Faye Bell, who both worked in the apparel retail business in the early and mid-20th century. The collection includes advertising materials, publications and ephemera of retail manufacturers whose products the Bells sold; papers and designs documenting Hirsch-Weis's White Stag line of clothes and its work with the Adolph L. Bloch Advertising Agency; and papers and photographs of other individuals whose connection with the Bells, if any, is unknown.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in three series: Series 1. Apparel business papers; Series 2. Bell family papers; Series 3. Papers of other individuals and non-apparel firms.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Jeff Stookey and Ken Baker, September 2010 (Lib. Acc. 27158).

Related Materials

Hirsch-Weis Company records, Mss 1436, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Separated Materials

E. O. McCormick photograph album is designated Coll 186, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Artifacts were separated to Museum Collections, Oregon Historical Society.