Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Sandford Greeting Card Company and Family Papers

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.1252
Creators:
MacDowell, Helen Sandford, 1889-
Pease, L.F.
Prince, Georgiana K., 1861-1915
Sandford Greeting Card Company
Gilman, Georgiana Sandford, 1887-1982
Sandford, Frank S., 1853-1924
Sandford, Mary Elizabeth, 1852-1936
Sandford, Ruth, 1879-1972
Dates:
1831-2004
Languages:
Collection is in
English
. Some materials in
German
.
Physical Description:
8 Cubic feet
37 boxes
Repository:
Collection documents the business activities of the Sandford Card Company and include the papers of Mary Elizabeth Sandford, founder of the company, and her immediate family.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The collection documents the business activities of the Sandford Card Company primarily in the early part of the century. It includes product designs and samples; advertising and marketing materials, as well as, correspondence and financial papers. In addition, there are the papers of Mary Elizabeth Sandford, founder of the company, and her immediate family. These materials consist primarily of diaries, photographs, correspondence, family histories and genealogies. The collection is arranged into four series. Series one documents the business activities of the Sandford Card Company. Series two contains the personal papers of Mary Elizabeth Sandford, her husband Frank Sherman Sandford and their children. Series three is the personal papers of Mary Elizabeth Sandford's parents and siblings. Series four is the personal papers of extended family members mostly by marriage.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into four series.
Series 1: Sandford Card Company Records, 1880-1967; undated
Subseries 1.1: Correspondence, 1909-1936; undated
Subseries 1.2: Financial Records, 1880-1926; undated
Subseries 1.3: Product Designs and Samples, 1911-1941; undated
Subseries 1.4: Advertising and Marketing Materials, 1924-1967; undated
Series 2: Sandford Family Papers, 1831-2003; undated
Subseries 2.1: Frank Sherman Sandford, 1870-1925; undated
Subseries 2.2: Mary Elizabeth Kennedy Sandford, 1868-2003; undated
Subseries 2.3: Ruth Louise Sandford, 1900-1972; undated
Subseries 2.4: John Joseph Sanford, 1900-1987; undated
Subseries 2.5: Georgiana Kennedy Sandford Gilman, 1870-1973; undated
Subseries 2.6: Helen Louise Sandford McDowell, 1899-2000; undated
Subseries 2.7: Family Papers, 1831-1992; undated
Subseries 2.8: Frances Rohe, 1913, 1920; undated
Series 3: Kennedy Family Papers, 1861-2003; undated
Subseries 3.1: James Frank Kennedy, 1861-1920s; undated
Subseries 3.2: Mary Jane Durkee Kennedy, 1867-1882
Subseries 3.3: Lillian Frances Kennedy Pease, 1875-2003
Subseries 3.4: Emma Jane Kennedy, 1877-1883; undated
Subseries 3.5: Georgiana Kennedy Prince, 1878-1915; undated
Subseries 3.6: Family Papers, 1934-1992; undated
Series 4: Other Family Papers, 1840s-2004; undated
Subseries 4.1: Durkee Family, 1864-2004; undated
Subseries 4.2: Gilman Family, 1840s-1902
Subseries 4.3: Gilman Family, 1916-2004; undated
Subseries 4.4: McDowell Family, 1920; undated
Subseries 4.5: Pease Family, 1953-1984; undated

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Mary Elizabeth Kennedy Sandford founded the Sandford Card Company in Dansville, New York in 1907. The Sandford Card Company was intended to provide consumers a means to send messages to family and friends. Such products contained more thought out verses and images than the typical postcards that were available during this time period. Initially, Mary Elizabeth created four verses with images and had five thousand of each printed by the F. A. Owen Publishing Company. The four samples were sent to two hundred bookstores and drugstores. Sales were later made with distributors and agents in various cities throughout the country. In addition, the company also sold cards to fraternal organizations using their symbols or mottos in the design. Eventually, fraternal organizations became a big part of the company's customer base expanding to more than fifty groups. The company grew as a mail order business. All card shipments were made directly from Dansville, New York to forty-eight states and countries including Canada, Alaska, Cuba, Japan, Guam, Philippines, Hawaii, Panama, and Netherlands, West Indies, England and Scotland. Although the Sandford Card Company started as a greeting card business it eventually offered place cards, calling cards, calendars, program folders, napkins, banquet supplies, gifts and souvenirs to its product line. All printing work was contracted out to lithographic businesses in New York, Boston and Cincinnati. With the death of Mary Elizabeth Sandford and her husband Frank Sherman Sandford the company continued to be operated under the guidance of their daughter Ruth Louise Sandford. In 1948, Ruth Sandford hired John G. Holden as business manager. In 1965, the company moved from Dansville to Baldwinsville, New York under the management of the third generation of the founding family. It continued to operate as a family business until it was sold to John G. Holden. The company was later purchased by Rodney Pease the grandson of Mary Elizabeth Sandford's sister Lillian Frances Pease. Pease eventually changed the name and direction of the company.

Administration

Author
Vanessa Broussard-Simmons
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated to the Archives Center in 2011 by R. Thompson Gilman, Executor for the estate of Elizabeth G. Essley.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Nancy Beardsley, volunteer, 2012; Anne Jones, volunteer, 2012; Ramona Williamson, volunteer, 2012; Marian Tatum Webb, volunteer, 2012; Theresa Worden, volunteer, 2012; and Vanessa Broussard -Simmons, archivist, August, 2012.

Digital Content

More …

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Collection open for research on site by appointment. Unprotected photographs must be handled with gloves.
Preferred Citation
Sandford Greeting Card Company and Family Papers, circa 1839-2000; undated, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
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.

Related Materials
Materials in the Archives Center
Lillian Pease Card Company Records (AC1251)

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Cartes-de-visite Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Clippings -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Travel diaries -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photograph albums -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Programs -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertising -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women-owned business enterprises Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Letters (correspondence) -- 19th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Panama Canal (Panama) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women -- Political activity Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
DVDs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Business cards Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women -- Organizations Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Trade catalogs -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Genealogies Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Postcards -- 20th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs -- 19th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Diaries -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Design drawings -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Greeting cards -- 20th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Business records -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Greeting card industry Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Account books -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Family-owned business enterprises Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Letters (correspondence) -- 20th century. Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women's suffrage -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Temperance Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Calling cards Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cabinet photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Health resorts Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Diaries -- 19th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Daguerreotypes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Memoirs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American Red Cross Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gilman, R. Thompson Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women's Christian Temperance Union Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
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