Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Iron

Summary
Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Iron
Creators:
Warshaw, Isadore, 1900-1969
Dates:
1803-1967
bulk 1830-1915
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
4.82 Cubic feet
consisting of 10 boxes, 1 folder, 5 oversize folders, 2 map case folders, 1 flat box (partial).
Repository:
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Iron forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
Iron and steel are companion industries so there is overlap in the products and goods manufactured and sold, which is evident in the documents. Iron was commonly used in construction as well as ornamental application in architecture and art, especially facades and sculptures, in addition to landscape and cemetery design, particularly in fencing. Some applications include bridges, concrete supports, joists, grating, casements, stairs, railings, trellises, doors, seats and other furniture, vases, vanes, shutters, posts, and fire escapes. Bar, plates, pig iron, cast iron, ore, and steel are commonly referred to in the collection materials. The emphasis is on products rather than production methods.
Materials represent a sampling of business records such as invoices, financial sheets, correspondence and a small number of advertising and promotional circulars. There are price sheets and a few product catalogs. Several company/foundry histories and prospectus documents are present. There is a large volume of import/export documents (European) present.
No extensive runs or complete records exist for any single company or brand, and no particular subtopic is represented in detail, although for any singular subtopic though some publications may provide general and historical overviews of a person, company, or facet of industry.
Arrangement
Arrangement
The materials are arranged into three series.
  • Business Records and Marketing Materials
  • Genre
  • Subject
Administration
Author
Nicole Blechynden
Sponsor
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Iron is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060, purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Processing Information
In 2016, with funding provided by the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund, the Archives Center at the National Museum of American History implemented the use of minimal level processing standards to increase information about and facilitate access to more of our collections.
For this subject, minimal processing included arrangement to the folder level, based on prior processing and preservation action, with retention of the pre-existing arrangement when possible, if applicable. Otherwise, an order was imposed by the Processing Archivist. Some materials were consolidated to eliminate excess bulk, but items within folders were not arranged further. The guide may or may not include a more refined list of folder contents. Nonarchival housing was replaced for long-term stability, but staples and other fasteners have not all been removed.
Minimal level processing and machine-readable finding aid completed by Nicole Blechynden, October 2016.
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Preferred Citation
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Iron, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Forms Part Of
Keywords
Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Manuals Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mail-order business -- Catalogs Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Printed ephemera Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mail order catalogs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Benches, iron Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Manufacturers' catalogs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fences -- wrought iron Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Trade cards Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Printed material Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Letterheads Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertising fliers Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Technical manuals -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Iron and steel industry Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertising cards Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertising mail Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gates -- Iron Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Iron and steel bridges Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Publications Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sales catalogs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Trade catalogs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Illustrations Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sales letters Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Correspondence Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Public works Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertisements Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wrought-iron Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Periodicals Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Trade literature Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ironwork Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sales promotion Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Iron industry and trade -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Commercial catalogs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertising Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Iron and steel workers -- 1920-1930 -- New York (State) -- New York Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sales records Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Catalogs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Catalogues Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Technical reports Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Public buildings Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Business letters Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Business records Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Publications -- Business Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ephemera Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Invoices Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Annual reports Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Reports Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Print advertising Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Receipts Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Business cards Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Business ephemera Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Repository Contact
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
archivescenter@si.edu