Stewart-Taylor Company art department products
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of advertising products for clients. Many of the items are not in final form but the raw art, and it is not known if these items met the client's need or were rejected. There is a group of final posters. Most of the work is drawings with black ink. See next page for expanded business history and list of items comprising the collection. A few items have been photocopied and follow this finding aid.
The collection is arranged by types of clients: manufacturers, businesses that are not manufacturers, and posters. The earliest items are a 1915 two color poster with a "McCoy" signature, and a 1917 booklet titled "Gardens in Duluth," the later produced by Stewart-Mackintosh, Inc. A few other early items are a booklet titled "Chequamegon Flower Gardens, Growers of Perennial Plants," Fall and Spring 1928-29 of Washburn, Wisconsin.
Many items are related to the automobile sales and service industry, including the booklet for the 1930 Duluth Auto Show; Graham Brothers News about their trucks of 1923. Manufacturers include: Andreson-Ryan Coffee Company advertisement and a separate piece showing gift premiums; Clyde Iron company brochure of hoisting equipment; one drawing of Cutler-Magner Cascade and Sunshine brand boxed salt; a number of Diamond Tool horseshoe and calk pieces as well as an elevation drawing of the company plant on the waterfront; Patrick Duluth knitting mills "Mackinaw Book" of woolens; Marshall-Wells Co. Zenith brand washing machine poster-sized advertisement.
Non-manufacturing business items include reprints of the Proctor Knott address of 1871; Ducal Decree drawing presumably for use with a Duke of Duluth event that shows the Canal Park area business buildings; banquet booklet for 1939 Norwegian prince and princess' visit to Duluth; port, harbor, ore docks, promotion ink drawing "Entrance to the Famous Arrowhead Country" by the Tourist and Convention Bureau and Duluth Chamber of Commerce; an interior and an elevation drawing of the Medical Arts Garage; First Federal Savings and Loan of Duluth ad; Jack Sheedy Council-at-Large campaign piece; elevation drawing of Jarvi-Dowd Funeral Home building on 4th street; P & J Paint Company ad using cut-and-paste type and photographs; photocopy of elevation drawing of Radisson Hotel ca. 1970.
There is a booklet of "PROOFS of St. Lawrence Seaway development newspaper publicity from The New York Times July 10-31, 1932".
There are four color posters: a March, 1915 "Spring Style Exhibit at Duluth Shops" two color poster; an undated three color SILVER SPRAY soft drink poster; an undated two color poster for St. Paul's First Annual Air Show held in September; an undated poster for the Duluth Junior Chamber of Commerce "Courtesy Counts" campaign.
Five oversized photographs rtouched for publication (one board has two photographs mounted one on each side): Stone Ordean Wells staff, a group of men including Mayor Prince, and three panoramic views of the harbor.
Dates
- 1915-circa 1980
- Majority of material found in 1915, 1917-1980?, not dated
Creator
- Stewart-Taylor Company (Duluth, Minn.) (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use in the Kathryn A. Martin Library, Archives and Special Collections.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.
Biographical / Historical
The business was first established about 1887 by J. L. Thwing, but it was nearly twenty years later before Stewart acquired an interest in the business. Milton I. Stewart was born in Lynchburg, Ohio in 1877, and came to northern Minnesota as a boy. He graduated from high school in Duluth in 1896. He attended the University of Minnesota and graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1902. In 1902 he bought a half-interest in the Faribault Journal in Minnesota, but sold out the following year and returned to Duluth. He was employed at the newly organized City National Bank for two years. On Dec. 1, 1905 he bought a half interest in the printing company of Thwing, bringing into existence the firm Thwing-Stewart Company at 26, 28, 30 West First street. The following year it moved to 116 West First street. Two years later it moved to 310-312 West Second street. Each move brought more space.
In 1909 the business was incorporated with Thwing as president and Stewart as secretary and treasurer. In 1912 Mr. Thwing sold his interest to Stewart. A year later Charles Oppel entered the organization, and a few months later the name was changed to the M. I. Stewart Company. About the same time Alanzo W. Taylor joined the company and assumed the office of treasurer. Since January 1, 1920, the name of the company has been Stewart-Taylor Company. On November 21, 1907, Stewart married Elfrida G. Schlick of Duluth. (see Van Brunt vol. III page 1117)
The 1924 city directory lists Milton I. Stewart (421 North 36th Avenue East) president, Charles H. Machintosh vice president, Charles W. Oppel secretary, and Alanzo W. Taylor treasurer. They were described as "Lithographers, Stationers, Printers and Advertising Specialists" At 310-312 West Second Street.
Alonzo W. Taylor (1887-1964) was born in Guelph, Ontario, and had resided in Duluth for 61 years at his death. He was employed for two years at the Pearson Bolt Construction Co. (which built the aerial bridge) and eight years as a teller at the City National Bank before his affiliation with Stewart-Taylor. He retired in 1960. He was elected to the Duluth school board in 1931 and served 12 years.
Nelson A. Long was the company's art director.
Extent
4.00 Linear Inches
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection consists of advertising products for clients. Many of the items are not in final form but the raw art, and it is not known if these items met the client's need or were rejected. There is a group of final posters. Most of the work is drawings with black ink.
Physical Location
This collection is located at the University of Minnesota Duluth Archives. For more information about this collection or to make an appointment, contact us at libarchives@d.umn.edu or 218-726-8526.
General
This collection is part of the Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections, which are housed in the University of Minnesota Duluth Archives at the Kathryn A. Martin Library.
- Advertisements Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Advertising Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Business Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Businesses Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Commercial art Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Commercial art Printing Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Drawings Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Graphic arts Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Posters Subject Source: Local sources
- Printers Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Printing Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Guide to the Stewart-Taylor Company art department products
- Author
- Finding Aid Authors: P. Maus.
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Collecting Area Details
Contact The University of Minnesota Duluth Archives and Special Collections Collecting Area
Kathryn A. Martin Library
University of Minnesota Duluth
416 Library Drive
Duluth MN 55812-3001
(218) 726-8526
libarchives@d.umn.edu
