Between 1886 and 1904, the same phrase—F. W. Woolworth “5 & 10¢ store”—still appeared on many mastheads, but Frank began to commission signs with slightly more elaborate designs, preferring an octagonal shape. Usually (but not always) these had a red background and gold lettering. It was during this period that the nickname “Red-Front” came into widespread use.
In 1905, Frank incorporated his growing empire and, in turn, the signs posted on his new stores read, “F. W. Woolworth & Co.” This phraseology continued through 1913, until the great merger and a reincorporation ensued. Beginning in 1913, the new stores said: “F. W. Woolworth Co.” The years between 1913–1915 were transitional, as one by one stores that once bore the name “McBrier,” for instance, were all changed to “F. W. Woolworth Co.” In at least one case, his merger-partner, Herbert Knox, insisted that both names appear on the masthead.
From the very beginning, variations on the theme started to surface. For example, some of the signs said: “5 & 10¢” while others said “5 and 10¢ + 15¢.” In other cases, the word “and” was flanked by lines over and below, or the word “cent” was written out instead of using the ¢ symbol.
In the 1930s, the ten-cent price limit was lifted, so many new F. W. Woolworth Co. stores had signs which read: “5 & 10¢ store” or 5 & 10 and 25¢.”
It is important to remember that the style of these signs varied greatly. There were numerous minor variations on the F. W. Woolworth theme, and the only thing that really remained constant (after 1885) was the use of the color red and the name “Woolworth.” Even as late as 1980, Woolworth mastheads were not always uniform. To further complicate matters, there were some stores in rural and small towns that never changed their signs, regardless of how many years they were in business! Their original gold-and-red lettering of pre-World War I sometimes remained intact well into the 1960s.
After World War II, heavy plastic, veneered woods, and mixed metal and wood signs came into use. On most of the plastic signs (which were often illuminated from behind) the words “F. W. Woolworth Co. (or simply, “Woolworth”) became the norm. Gone were the days when everything in the store sold for under a nickel or a dime, and therefore, the signs did not advertise as such. The signs became more streamlined throughout the 1970s and 1980s. During this period, some of the F. W. Woolworth mall stores bore blue lettering. Clearly, the styles of Woolworth signs varied, but as long as it says Woolworth’s, Woolworth, or F. W. Woolworth, you are on the right track to find a piece of Americana.
For collectors, mastheads are the most popular, but indoor signs are also worth noting. Smaller reproductions of the masthead often hung inside the store, either on the walls or suspended from the ceiling.
Vintage store fixtures and furniture also fall into this category. Until the late 1950s, when self-service started to become the norm in Woolworth’s, there were female employees (counter girls) stationed at individual counters throughout the store. Each girl had her own cash register and, in essence, her own five-and-dime domain. In the larger Woolworth’s establishments, these counters were very elaborate. They were either mahogany or walnut (solid or veneered) and sometimes featured glass sliding storage shelves with brass fittings. These counters occasionally come up for sale, with prices beginning at $500.
Canvas and plastic shopping baskets used by Woolworth’s shoppers are popular and relatively affordable collectibles.
The earliest manual cash registers, which replaced the overhead cable payment systems in 1900, are also desirable collectibles. The original registers were metal, painted gold or silver, and often featured detailed designs. One of the primary responsibilities of the Woolworth’s counter girls was to keep these registers clean and polished, therefore, they often surface in specialty auctions in relatively good condition. When the Red-Fronts started to close down during the 1990s, the store managers also sold the fixtures, metal shelving, modern display counters, and anything else that wasn’t bolted down. Customers walked out with all manner of Woolworth’s mementos, many of them with the purpose of recycling the Woolworth’s items into their own store establishments.
One of the most popular store items during the final day sales were Woolworth’s shopping carryalls, which were hand-held canvas (and later, plastic) baskets. These were issued in a variety of styles and colors through the years, ranging from blue-and-green striped “collapsible” carryalls, to contemporary red plaid canvas. The individual store managers set the prices on these baskets, which ranged from $5 to $10. It is expected these baskets, will begin to command $25 or more over the next few years. With rare exceptions, these baskets were time worn from so many years of use, but the customers who carried them outside on closing day didn’t seem to mind. They knew they were purchasing a piece of Americana.
Five-and-Dime Items Tucked Away in Shoe Boxes or Attics Have Become Icons for Preserving the Woolworth Legacy.
Lovelee Hair Net, c. 1920.
“Famous First” ink blotter released by Davis Plywood Corp.
Advertising Memorabilia
The final Woolworth’s category of specialty items is advertising memorabilia.
F. W. Woolworth Co. advertising memorabilia, like Woolworth’s store signs, take on many different forms. One can readily find catalogs, magazine, and newspaper print ads, posters, and store signs featuring particular products. An example of the latter would be the plastic sign for TopsAll Watchbands.
Display for TopsAll watchbands, c. 1980.
Some of the most colorful and nostalgic of advertising collectibles are the old F. W. Woolworth Christmas catalogs. These first appeared in the 1950s and contain pages of toys and household notions, complete with illustrations and original prices. These catalogs are a great source of research for dealers and collectors trying to determine the original price of that Mickey Mouse lamp for which they may have just paid two hundred dollars! The covers of these catalogs sometimes featured watercolor photos of famous Woolworth’s stores. Catalogs start at $20 based on condition.
Pre-1950 magazine print ads for F. W. Woolworth are also hard to find. The company just did not invest much money in lavish magazine ads. A few ads have surfaced (dating as far back as 1915) in publications such as Ladies Home Journal, but by and large, the company did not begin to advertise extensively in magazines until the 1950s. Usually, the older ads focused on a particular line of products, such as Woolco cottons or yarns.
Newspaper ads and supplements are more commonplace than magazine ads. Individual store managers routinely advertised back-to-school sales, grand reopening sales, and holiday bargains. On occasion, you will also stumble across ads financed by the Woolworth Company itself, in order to commemorate a landmark event. In 1969, for example, they took out ads throughout the country thanking the first men on the moon. The value of magazine and print ads are difficult to estimate, as they range from as little as $2.00 per ad to $40 per ad.
This Woolworth’s ad commemorates the first Americans to reach the moon. Magazine and newspaper ads like this are becoming increasingly popular among collectors.
Miscellaneous Memorabilia: The Heart of F. W. Woolworth Collectibles
There are countless F. W. Woolworth five-and-dime collectibles that do not actually fall into one broad category, but are worth mentioning just for their nostalgic or novelty value. A nickel coin wrapper bearing the Woolworth’s name might not be worth as much as a vintage cast metal Woolworth’s bank, but the wrapper means a lot to the manager who walked to the bank each night to make a deposit.
Due to the fact that the old five-and-dimes played such an important role in the lives of millions of former employees and patrons alike, individual items tucked away in hope chests or show boxes have special significance for casual collectors. The old Depressionera sales receipts from the year you somehow managed to buy all six children Christmas gifts for under $2.00 … the empty bottle of Evening in Paris perfume you received from your first beau in the 1940s … the Lovelee Hair Net purchased for a dime which you thought was
such a great deal because it was made of “real human hair” … the first tube of Tangee lipstick you purchased to go to the high school dance … Woolworth’s penny weight cards, old photos taken in the photo machine … the instructions from Peerless Water Waver curlers … these are all examples of items that bring back memories. Some might even be worth money in the open market, but even if they aren’t, one treasures them all the same.
F. W. Woolworth collectibles and memorabilia are all part of the domain of “five-and-dime infinity.” When “time” finally ran out for the five-and-dimes, the products that were generated over its 118-year-old history took on both a financial and nostalgic appeal.
These, and other Woolworth’s collectibles, are the fragments of the past that will help to keep the F. W. Woolworth Co. phenomena alive for decades to come.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
“Remembering Woolworth’s”
This bibliography is by no means a complete record of all the works and sources consulted while writing this book. It indicates the substance and range of reading upon which I have formed my ideas, and I intend it to serve as a convenience for those who wish to pursue further study of Frank Winfield Woolworth and the F. W. Woolworth Co. In addition to the books, periodicals, and Internet resources listed below, I also consulted numerous F. W. Woolworth Co. annual reports, company newsletters, interoffice correspondence dating as far back as 1890, and interviewed hundreds of former Woolworth’s employees and patrons.
Books
Baker, Nina Brown. Nickels and Dimes: The Story of F. W. Woolworth. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1954.
Brough, James. The Woolworths. New York: McGraw Hill, 1982.
Bruce, Addington H. Above the Clouds and Old New York: An Historical Sketch of the Site and a Description of the Many Wonders of the Woolworth Building. New York: F. W. Woolworth Co., 1913.
Cochran, Edwin A. The Cathedral of Commerce: The Woolworth Building, New York. New York: Broadway Park Place Co., 1917, 1921.
Comyns, Barbara. Our Spoons Came from Woolworths. New York: The Dial Press (Doubleday & Company, Inc.), 1983.
Dupre, Judith. Skyscrapers. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 1996.
Eldridge, Mona. In Search of a Prince: My Life with Barbara Hutton. London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1988.
Glassner, Lester and Brownie Harris. Dime-Store Days. New York: Penguin Books, 1981.
Heymann, David C. Poor Little Rich Girl: The Life and Legend of Barbara Hutton. Ontario: Lyle Stuart, Inc., 1983.
Hurst, Fannie. Five and Ten. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1929.
Kirkwood, Robert C. Newcomen Society: The Woolworth Story at Home and Abroad. New York: Princeton University Press, 1960.
Lebhar, Godfrey M. Chain Stores in America: 1859–1959. New York: Chain Store Publishing, 1959.
Maher, James T. The Twilight of Splendor. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1975.
McBrier, Edwin Merton. The Origin of the 5 and 10 Cent Store: Part II, McBrier Genealogy. Privately printed, 1941.
McAtamnet, Hugh, Compiler. Commemorative Book for the Dinner Given to Cass Gilbert by Frank W. Woolworth, April 24th, 1913. New York: 1913.
Myers, Elisabeth P. F. W. Woolworth: Five and Ten Boy. Indianapolis: Bobbs Merrill, 1962.
Nash, Sunny. Big Mama Didn’t Shop at Woolworth’s. Texas: Texas A&M University Press, 1996.
Nichols, John P. Skyline Queen and the Merchant Prince: The Woolworth Story. New York: Trident Press, 1973.
Nichols, John P. The Chain Store Tells Its Story. New York: Institute of Distribution, Inc., 1940.
Randall, Monica. The Mansions of Long Island’s Gold Coast. New York: Hastings House, 1979.
Winkler, John K. Five and Ten: The Fabulous Life of F. W. Woolworth. New York: Robert M. McBride & Company, 1940.
Wolff, Miles. Lunch at the 5 & 10: The Story of the Greensboro Sit-Ins. Chicago: Elephant Paperbacks, Ivan R. Dee Publisher, 1970, 1990.
Woolworth Co., F. W. Fortieth Anniversary Souvenir: 1879–1919. New York: F. W. Woolworth Co., 1919.
Woolworth Co., F. W. 50 Years of Woolworth: 1879–1929. New York: F. W. Woolworth Co., 1929.
Woolworth Co., F. W. Home Shopping Guide. New York: F. W. Woolworth Co., 1929.
Woolworth Co., F. W. 60 Years of Woolworth: The Story of Everybody’s Store. New York: F. W. Woolworth Co., 1939.
Woolworth Co., F. W. The Dinner Given to Cass Gilbert by Frank W. Woolworth: April 24, 1913. New York: privately printed, 1913.
Woolworth Co., F. W. Woolworth’s First 75 Years: The Story of Everybody’s Store: 1879–1954. New York: F. W. Woolworth Co., 1954.
Articles
“Barbara Hutton Haugwitz-Reventlow Has Husband Trouble.” Life (July 18, 1938): 20–23.
Berridge, John R. “Good 1d and 6d Pays Off in Britain for Woolworth Company.” Christian Science Monitor (Apr. 30, 1959).
“Bit of Americana Bids Farewell: Store Lunch Counter Left to History Books.” Chicago Tribune (Aug. 2, 1997).
Bryan, Jodell L. “From Vaudeville to the Silver Screen: Popular Entertainment in Lancaster.” Journal of the Lancaster Historical Society (Fall 1997): Vol. 95, No. 4: 109–125.
Corbett, Patrick R. and DiPasqua, Aida. “Idea for store born in Utica, where locals will miss its presence.” Observer-Dispatch (July 18, 1992):4A.
“Deaths of Firemen Here Largest Toll on Record.” The Charleston Gazette (Mar. 6, 1949):1, 14.
Fargo, Helen. “History of the Woolworth Memorial United Methodist Church-Great Bend, NY.” 4-Rivers Journal of the 4 River Valleys Historical Society (July-Dec. 1995):1.
“F. W. Woolworth from Watertown to the World.” Museum Musings: Newsletter of the Jefferson County Historical Society (Jan. 1998):1.
“F. W. Woolworth, Head of Chain of 1,038 Ten-Cent Stores, Dies.” The St. Louis Star (Apr. 8, 1919):3.
“Lightning on Woolworth Tower.” New York Times (June 21, 1913):1.
Maine, Kathern. “A Man of Vision.” Journal of the Lancaster Historical Society (Fall 1997):Vol. 99, No. 33:130–140.
“Method of Escavating the Cellar of the Woolworth Building in New York.” Engineering Record (Apr. 27, 1913): 472–473.
Proeller, Marie. “Remembering the Five-and-Dime.” Country Living Magazine (Sept. 1997):96.
Quick, Bob. “Woolworths on the Plaza closing shop.” The Sante Fe New Mexican (July 18, 1997):A1, A6.
Schreiber, Paul. “Life After: How One Village is Coping.” New York Newsday (Sept. 15, 1998):C10.
“State, City Officials Help Woolworth to Celebrate 80th Year.” Lancaster Intelligencer Journal (June 20, 1959):4, 8.
Steinhauler, Jennifer. “A Highflier in an Uphill Battle: A Retail Star Has Yet to Win Respect for Woolworth’s Successor.” New York Times (July 12, 1998): Section 3:1,11.
Kirkwood, Robert C. “The Woolworth Story: 80 Years of Progress.” Christian Science Monitor (Mar. 30, 1959).
Trapnell, Stephen, “Woolworth to Shut, Sell 400 Stores.” Lancaster Intelligencer Journal (July 17, 1997):A-1.
“When Vaudeville Held the Boards on the ‘Roof Garden’ of the Woolworth Building.” Lancaster Sunday News (May 17, 1931).
Wilkerson, Chuck. “In 1879 A Man Had a Notion and 118 Years Later, Nothing Left but Memories.” Diamond “W” Newsletter (August 1998):1.
Wilkerson, Chuck. “Milestones of Distinction.” Diamond “W” Newsletter (Oct/Nov 1998):1.
Winkler, John and Sparkes, Boyden. “Dime Store.” The Saturday Evening Post (Feb. 24, 1940):22–23, 80, 82, 84–85.
“Woolworth Chain Plans Big Doings Here.” Lancaster Intelligencer Journal (May 12, 1959):1, 15.
Yaeger, Lynn and Sietsema, Robert. “The Last Days of Woolworth’s.” The Village Voice (Aug. 12, 1997):16.
“$200 Loan to Woolworth May Have Changed Future.” Lancaster Intelligencer Journal (May 16, 1959):4.
Internet Resources
Increase & Diffusion: A Smithsonian Web Magazine: “Sitting for Justice.”
http://www.si
.edu/i%2bd/sitins.v2.4.html
Peggy Trowbridge’s Home Cooking Guide: “Lunch Counter Lingo.”
http://homecooking.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa081897.htm
Woolworth’s: Britain’s Favourite Family Store.
http://www.kingfisher.co.uk/investor/woolworth_profile.htm
Woolworth Ltd. of Cyprus: The Department Stores.
http://www.windowoncyprus.com/woolwort.htm
Woolworths: Nostalgia in the 99¢ Bin
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/9326/index.html
The Woolworth Family Genealogy Web
http://www.thewoolworths.com/
INDEX
The index that appeared in the print version of this title does not match the pages in your eBook. Please use the search function on your eReading device to search for terms of interest.
For your reference, the terms that appear in the print index are listed below.
A
Advertising philosophy
Ancestry
Arnould, D.
Asbury Park (NJ)
Atlantic City
Augsbury & Moore Drygoods
Australia, see Woolworth Limited
B
“Back to School” trade
Balfour, Samuel
Barrett, Edward
Berridge, John R.
Birth, date of
“Blue Waltz” perfume
Bonaparte, Napoleon, influence of
Boston (MA), stores in
British Woolworth’s, see Woolworth, F.W. Co., International
Brooklyn, first store opening
Brooklyn, homes in
C
Cadman, (Dr.) S. Parkes
Canada, stores in, see Woolworth, F.W. Co., International
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