Guide to the Finlay Straus Scrapbook

Scope and Contents

The scrapbook contains advertisements dating from circa 1929-1933 from the Finlay Straus Company. Although the advertisements focus on jewelry, many other items are advertised as well. Especially prominent are the Christmas advertisements for Finlay Straus stores in which buyers receive a free baby doll if they spend twenty dollars or more. Catalogs, circulars, mailings, and other advertisements are also included among these materials.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in one series.

Biographical / Historical

Finlay began as a mail order house for fine jewelry in 1887. In 1924, Abraham Hirshberg took over the debt-ridden business and expanded with Finlay-Straus stores throughout the metropolitan New York area. In 1968, Finlay was purchased by Seligman & Latz, a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Seligman & Latz operated Finlay until 1985 when it became privately owned. Finlay remained privately held until April 1995, when its parent, company Finlay Enterprises, Incorporated held its initial public stock offering.

With the acquisition of Carlyle & Company Jewelers in May 2005, Finlay returned to operating freestanding luxury stores. Carlyle consisted of 35 stores located primarily in southeastern United States under the Carlyle, J. E. Caldwell, and Park Promenade names. In November 2006 Congress Jewelers (a group of five stores located in Southwest Florida) was added, By August 2009, there were 182 Finlay locations: 67 Bailey Banks & Biddle, 34 Carlyle & Company four Congress specialty jewelry stores, and 77 licensed departments with The Bon Ton. On September 24, 2009, Finlay Enterprises announced completion of a bankruptcy auction for its business and assets to Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, LLC. Gordon Brothers was appointed to act as the Company's agent to conduct "store closings" or similar sales of merchandise located at all of the Company's retail store locations and the Company's two distribution centers.