B. Altman & Co. records
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Employee records, financial records, legal papers, estate material, correspondence, and miscellaneous items of B. Altman & Co. The collection also includes material relating to B. Altman & Co. president Michael Friedsam (president 1931-1931).
Chronology of B. Altman & Co.
(Sources: Encyclopedia of New York; B. Altman & Co.'s Enlarged Store(1914); Joseph Devorkin, Great Merchants of Early New York; Robert Hendrickson, The Grand Emporiums; New York Times.)
Arrangement
The collection is organized in ten series. Material within each series is filed chronologically.
Series I. President Michael Friedsam, 1915-1933, undated
Series II. Employee Records, 1876-1918
Series III. Financial Records, 1887-1955
Series IV. Legal Records, 1913-1953
Series V. Benjamin Altman Estate Material, 1913-1919
Series VI. Correspondence, 1915-1939, undated
Series VII. Study of Shopping Habits, 1936
Series VIII. Electrical Equipment Inspection Certificates, 1906
Series IX. Publications, 1917, undated
Series X. Medals, 1917
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of two boxes and 18 bound volumes, and is organized into ten series. Items are arranged chronologically within each series. The bulk of the material is located in Series I. President Michael Friedsam and Series II. Employee Records, 1876-1917. The Friedsam series contains mostly correspondence, 1915-1918; also news clippings and stock and bond receipts. Other significant series include financial records (bills, receipts, checks, bonds), legal records such as copyright and trademark registrations, and material relating to the estate of Benjamin Altman. The smaller series in this collection contain correspondence, a study of shopping habits, electrical equipment inspection certificates, and medals. The B. Altman & Co. Papers do not include any trade catalogs or company advertisements.
The B. Altman & Co. Papers support research in the fields of New York City business and department store administrative history in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The twelve volumes of employee records may also reveal details useful to genealogists, labor historians, and women's historians, as many include summaries of workers' lives. In addition, the Michael Friedsam material contains correspondence pertaining to philanthropy, art collecting, New York City mayoral politics, and domestic efforts during the first World War.
Subjects
Genres
Access Restrictions
This collection is stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult it, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as B. Altman & Co. Records, The New-York Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased at auction, 1990.
About this Guide
Edition of this Guide
Repository
Series I. President Michael Friedsam, 1915-1933, undated
Scope and Contents note
Contains material relating to B. Altman & Co. President Michael Friedsam (President, 1913-1931), divided into four subseries.
Subseries 1. Correspondence, 1915-1918, undated
Scope and Contents note
Includes material relating to B. Altman & Co., the Altman Foundation, the Fifth Avenue Association, the Fusion Committee of 1917, charitable organizations, and Friedsam's art collection. Also included are letters from jobseekers and letters of introduction, congratulatory and thank you letters, and wedding and funeral invitations.
Letters received, 1915-1916, inclusive
Letters received, 1917 Jan.-June
Letters received, 1917 July-Dec.
Letters received, 1918 Jan.-June, inclusive
Letters received, 1918 July-Dec., inclusive
Letters received, Undated
Subseries 2. Associations, clubs, and charity material, 1917-1918, undated
Scope and Contents note
Includes donation lists, meeting minutes, circulars re: luncheon and dinner meetings, and report. Organizations include the Uptown Club (minutes), the Friars club, Merchant's Association, Harmonie Club, and unidentified organizations.
Associations, clubs, charity material, 1917-1918, undated, inclusive
Subseries 3. Stock and bond records, 1921-1933
Scope and Contents note
Includes records for Friedsam and the Delion Corp.: industrial, bank, mining, oil, public utilities, and railroad stocks and bonds; city and state bonds.
Stock and bond records, M. Friedsam/ Delion Corp., 1921-1933, inclusive
Subseries 4. News clippings, 1929-1931
Scope and Contents note
Clippings from New York City newspapers regarding Friedsam, including social events, charity work, the Fifth Avenue Association, and B. Altman & Co.
News clippings re: Michael Friedsam, 1929-1931, inclusive
Series II. Employee Records, 1876-1918
Scope and Contents note
These volumes contain names of B. Altman & Co. employees; most include dates of employment and residence. Also included in some volumes are remarks on employees by supervisors and references. A number of volumes contain amendments added after the employee left B. Altman & Co. The three index volumes do not correspond to other volumes in this series. These volumes have been numbered for retrieval purposes.
Employee Records: name, residence, references, 1876-1894, inclusive
Employee Records: name, department, residence, dates of employment, references, notes, 1877-1882, inclusive
Employee Records: name, dates of employment, wages, 1881-1891, inclusive
Employee Records: name, residence, dates of employment, references, notes, 1885-1896, inclusive
Employee Records: name, residence, department, dates of employment, references, notes (all employees in this volume hired 1887-1893; some records later amended), 1887-1914, inclusive
Employee Records: name, position, residence, dates of employment, references, notes, 1894-1899, inclusive
Employee Records: name, residence, position, dates of employment, references, notes (all employees in this volume hired 1899; some records later amended), 1899-1914, inclusive
Employee Records: name, department, dates of employment, remarks. Vol. 1: A-K, 1899-1918, inclusive
Employee Records: name, department, dates of employment, remarks. Vol. 2: L-Z, 1899-1918, inclusive
Employee Records: Index, 1900-1913, inclusive
Employee Records: Index, 1903-1917, inclusive
Employee Records: Index: "Workroom Employees", 1903-1914, inclusive
Series III. Financial Records, 1887-1955
Scope and Contents note
Includes receipts for items sold at auction, real estate and charity receipts, municipal bills, checks (most signed by Benjamin Altman), bonds, and contribution records.
Contribution records. Includes names of contributors and organizations, items donated, donation amount., 1932-1933, inclusive
Receipts for fur items sold at auction June 15, 1954; receipts 1955., 1942-1955, inclusive
Bills, receipts, accounts, 1909-1916, inclusive
Bills, receipts, accounts, 1917-1931, inclusive
Bonds, 1887, 1914-1924, inclusive
Checks, 1905-1914, inclusive
Series IV. Legal Records, 1913-1953
Scope and Contents note
Includes copyright and trademark certificates of registration and a trial transcript, Weitsman v. B. Altman & Co., case of "malicious prosecution," involving stolen goods.
Trial transcript, 1916, inclusive
Copyright and trademark Certificates of Registration, 1913-1950, inclusive
Copyright and trademark Certificates of Registration, 1951-1953, inclusive
Series V. Benjamin Altman Estate Material, 1913 --1919
Scope and Contents note
Includes B. Altman & Co. stock and bond material; property assessments of the Fifth Ave. store, stables, and other real estate holdings; correspondence regarding execution of Altman's will; surrogate court records; summary of Altman's donation of art to the Metropolitan Museum; material regarding employee life insurance, employee legacies, and the Altman Foundation.
Estate material, 1913-1914, inclusive
Estate material, 1915-1919, inclusive
Series VI. Correspondence, 1915 -- 1939, undated
Scope and Contents note
Letters to John S. Burke re: charitable donations, bonds, social engagements, Arts & Decoration magazine, and other topics. Many concern Michael Friedsam. Other letters received in this series include letters to B. Altman & Co. employees (especially Milton M. Klein), unsigned copies of letters to Washington Times owner Arthur Brisbane, and requests to B. Altman & Co. for charitable contributions.
John S. Burke, letters received, 1916-1918, inclusive
Letters received by others, 1915-1939, undated, inclusive
Series VII. Study of Shopping Habits, 1936
"A Study of Shopping Habits and Attitudes Toward Department Stores" prepared for B. Altman & Co., 1936, inclusive
Series VIII. Electrical Equipment Inspection Certificates, 1906
Scope and Contents note
From the New York City Dept. of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity's Electrical Bureau and the New York Board of Fire Underwriters.
Electrical equipment inspection certificates, 1906, inclusive
Series IX. Publications, 1917, undated
Arts and Decoration magazine (June 1917); "The D.M. Read Co.", 1917; undated, inclusive
Series X. Medals, 1917
Scope and Contents note
Possibly belonging to Michael Friedsam. Commemorating the French and British War Commission, the Imperial Japanese Commission, and the Catskill Aqueduct Celebration.