Object Details
- Collection Creator
- Simmons Company
- See more items in
- The Simmons Company Records
- Date
- 1892-2000
- undated
- Archival Repository
- Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Identifier
- NMAH.AC.0731, Series 1
- Type
- Archival materials
- Collection Rights
- 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.
- Scope and Contents
- Series 1: Corporate Materials, 1892-2000, undated Subseries 1.1: History, 1892-2000, undated - Kenosha, WI, history (news articles and other documents), Simmons Company history (news articles, correspondence, and commemorative publications), and Simmons Centennial materials. Of note are transcripts of a series of interviews conducted for the 1996 commemorative book; the interviews are in alphabetical order by the interviewee's last name. Some WWII materials are also located within this subseries. Subseries 1.2: Photographic Materials, 1892-1990s [bulk dates] - Included here are photographs (black and white, color), negatives, transparencies, and slides. Sub-subseries 1.2.1: Machines, 1925-1969, undated - Features photos of the devices used to make Simmons mattress and furniture including the Marshall pocket machine, stitching machines, and coiling machines. The photographs are arranged alphabetically by type of machine, and there under by date. Sub-subseries 1.2.2: Products, 1936, 1962, 1970s-1990s, undated - Some of the photographs may have been used in advertisements, catalogues, and other Simmons publications. Sub-subseries 1.2.3: Personnel, 1917, 1937-1974, 1980s, undated - Photographs of Z.G. Simmons, Grant Simmons, Jr., sales force, and board members. Of interest are the sales force photos featuring meeting initiations and "All-American Annual Trips" for top selling employees. Sub-subseries 1.2.4: Facilities, 1892, 1920s, 1936, 1940, 1955, 1960s, 1975, 1980s, n.d. - Photographs of domestic and foreign manufacturing plants, office buildings, warehouses, and stores. Sub-subseries 1.2.5: Other, 1915, 1935, 1940, 1964, 1979, undated - Slides used for presentations and photographs that do not fit into the above sub-subseries. Subseries 1.3: Annual Reports, 1946, 1949, 1952-1983 - Reports given to stockholders focusing on Simmons financial returns and business activities for the year. Subseries 1.4: Publications, 1926-1994 [bulk dates] - Periodicals published by Simmons for their staff (sales force, plant employees, etc.) and outside parties. Sub-subseries 1.4.1: Owl, 1947-1954 - A nearly complete run of this in-house organ; it was published about once every two months. Sub-subseries 1.4.2: Bedpost, 1984, 1986, 1988-1998 --In-house organ. There are no examples of an in-house organ that may have been published between 1954 and 1984. Sub-subseries 1.4.3: Other Publications, 1926, 1929, 1941, 1970s, 1980s, 1994 - Items published by Simmons and sent to merchandisers. Subseries 1.5: Business Records, 1903-1987 [bulk dates] Sub-subseries 1.5.1: Records, 1903-1998, undated - Consists, in part, of correspondence, speeches, personnel directories, and financial accounting books. Of note is the folder of materials on Simmons participation in atomic testing in 1955. Sub-subseries 1.5.2: Presentations, Studies, and Reports, 1936, 1958, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1987, undated - Business plan presentation from Gulf & Western and Wickes. Issues of Consumer Reports magazine featuring Simmons products. Subseries 1.6: Audit Reports, 1917-1952, 1959-1967, 1977 - Year-end financial audits for Simmons Company, its subsidiaries, and foreign incarnations. Subseries 1.7: Legal Matters, 1914-1977 [bulk dates] - Federal Trade Commission activities, bills of sale, licensing agreements, trademarks on Simmons logos, and lawsuit exhibits. Subseries 1.8: Patents, 1904-1954, ca. 1960s, undated - Correspondence and legal documents for foreign and domestic patents, many by John Gail. Also included here are the Patent Committee meeting minutes. Subseries 1.9: National Association of Bedding Manufacturers (NABM), 1949, 1952, 1960s-1970s, undated- Materials reflect Simmons involvement with this organization. Several Simmons employees held high ranking positions within NABM. Subseries 1.10: Sleep Research Materials, 1929-1970s, 1994, undated - Materials relating to Simmons sleep research endeavors, especially the Sleep Research Center at the Mellon Institute. Included are journal articles, booklets about sleep and bedding, and a scrapbook of news clippings related to a 1956 article, "Sleep--ust 80 Minutes a Night."
- Collection Restrictions
- Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
- Record ID
- ebl-1503511612659-1503511612688-0
