Western Furniture Exchange and Merchandise Mart (San Francisco, Calif.)
Published: 1915
Total Pages:
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The Western Furniture Exchange and Merchandise Mart operated from its creation in 1915 until its closing in 2008. During its apex, the Mart operated as the largest hub for furniture wholesale on the West Coast and hosted sellers from all over the Western United States. The collection consists of publications produced by the Mart, scrapbooks assembled by date (scrapbooks contain ephemera and clippings relating to the Mart), and graphic materials including floor plans, photos, negatives, slides, sketches and a promotional video. Of note are the yearly Buyers Guide and Directories which list individual showrooms and wholesalers. The collection also includes a small amount of correspondence, a switchboard operator's phone directory and an embossing stamp with the SF Furniture Mart logo. The collection does not contain Mart organizational information, staff or business records. Instead the collection content focuses on the sellers who operated in the Mart. Photos include portraits, early scenes including the Mart's first location at 180 Montgomery Street (circa 1915), advertising, construction, earthquake (1906), events, exteriors, interiors, Mart 2 opening (1975), Mart fire (1970), Marts other than San Francisco, and publicity shots.
