MS 571 - Michael Tho. Reynolds Upholsterer & Furniture Maker Papers
MLA Citation
Tags
| Title | MS 571 - Michael Tho. Reynolds Upholsterer & Furniture Maker Papers |
|---|---|
| Subject | Business & Commerce |
| Introduction | The Michael Tho. Reynolds Upholsterer Collection begins in 1979 and continues to the present. This collection includes approximately 24 cubic feet of documents. Three cubic feet of correspondence and financial records (general ledgers, itemized workbooks, inventories, financial papers and trade journals). The general ledgers are closed to researchers and the financial papers from 1991 to present are unavailable for research. Trade journals may be used by researchers but any duplication and quoting from these journals must include crediting Michael Tho. Reynolds. Six cubic feet of the collection is devoted to printed materials: upholstering journals, magazines, catalogs, price lists and books focusing upon upholstering, furniture and the decorative arts. Less than one half cubic foot includes photographs of various upholstering projects. Fabric sample/job records comprise 15 cubic feet of the collection and certain financial data, photographs, swatches, and other documentation for specific upholstering jobs. Miscellaneous historic fabric and upholstering samples are included for research purposes. The collection was donated to the Center for Archival Collections in March 1990 with the assistance of Ann M. Bowers, Assistant Director. The finding aid was completed by Eric Honneffer in January 2005 and revised and updated in November 2010. |
| Agency History | Reynolds Upholstering is a one man upholstering and furniture making business operating out of the Michael Tho. Reynolds home near Wayne, Ohio since approximately 1979. The business offers a great variety of upholstering services but specializes in the use of traditional, handcrafted upholstering methods for historic furniture. Mr. Reynolds' collection includes not only financial and business records but also a detailed accounting of work completed on various upholstering jobs and where possible, a record of historically significant upholstering details from particular projects for purposes of study and research of the history of the craft. Details about his furniture design and construction commissions are also found in the collection. |
| Scope and Content | The Michael Tho. Reynolds Upholsterer and Furniture Maker Collection is comprised of approximately 24 cubic feet of correspondence, financial records, printed materials such as catalogs and upholstering journals, books, photographs and artifactual fabric swatches. Correspondence comprises only .5 cubic feet of the collection beginning in about 1980 to the present. This is broken into such categories as customers, donations of historic upholstering artifacts to organizations, research interests, government issues and suppliers. The supplier correspondence is mostly mail and catalog information sent to Mr. Reynolds. His trade journals or notes on how he completes certain upholstering techniques (1989-1998) are placed at the end of the correspondence. The descriptions in these provide insights into Mr. Reynolds great interest in traditional hand done upholstering technique. The correspondence for certain customer projects shows how Mr. Reynolds works with various organizations and private citizens and how detailed he documents that work. The correspondence is closed to researchers. The trade journals may be used by researchers but Michael Thomas Reynolds must be credited if information is duplicated or quoted. The financial records comprise 2.5 cubic feet of the collection and include general ledgers, itemized workbooks (with contract and inventory information), and financial papers (invoices, receipts, bills). These records begin in 1979 and run to the present (the itemized workbooks begin in 1989). Some financial data is also included later in the fabric sample/job records-usually customer invoices with each job. Mr. Reynolds meticulously documents details of various business transactions whether with his customers or with his suppliers. One can possibly research the kinds of jobs being done, the kinds of materials needed, costs of these jobs and what supplies have become obsolete or cannot be obtained any longer. Printed materials comprise 6 cubic feet of the collection and include upholstering magazines, journals, catalogs, price lists, miscellaneous directories, articles and books mostly from the 1980's to the present. Using the catalogs one could trace the availability and cost of certain supplies over time and could also observe how the trade has changed as products are no longer offered. The books represent upholstering and decorative arts, textile and furniture topics. They date from the 19th century to the present and are reflective of Mr. Reynolds' vast interest in various handcrafts/trades. Photographs comprise less than half of one cubic foot of the collection and include negatives, contact prints and slides of upholstering projects accompanied by identification of some images. These document jobs before, during and after upholstering is completed. Additional photographs of this kind are included in the fabric sample/job records. The above photographs date from approximately the 1980's and 1990's. The largest record series, the fabric sample/job records, comprise 15 cubic feet of the collection beginning in 1990 and running to the present. These document individual jobs for customers throughout any given year and often include swatches of original fabrics removed from furniture, swatches of replacement fabric, photographs, invoices and the like. Three oversized boxes include historic fabrics and supplies, needlepoint designs and the like removed from furniture during reupholstering. Three fragments of historic wallpaper have been encapsulated and are included among the oversized materials in the collection. |
| Series Description |
CORRESPONDENCE TRADE JOURNALS FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS (some are closed to researchers) GENERAL LEDGERS (closed to researchers) ITEMIZED WORKBOOKS ADDRESS BOOK FINANCIAL PAPERS (1991 to present closed to researchers) UPHOLSTERING JOURNALS AND MAGAZINES CATALOGS AND PRICE LISTS BOOKS NEGATIVES, CONTACT PRINTS, SLIDES FABRIC SAMPLE/JOB RECORDS OVERSIZED SAMPLES |
| Inventory | Box 1: Correspondence, Literary Productions Folder
Folder
Box 3: Financial Documents Folder
Box 4: Financial Documents Folder
Box 5: Financial Documents, 1991-1996 (Closed to Researchers) Box 6: Financial Documents, 1997-2008 (Closed to Researchers) Box 7: Upholstering Journals and Magazines Folder
Box 8: Upholstering Journals and Magazines /Membership Directories and Other Upholstering Publications Folder
Box 9: Catalogs and Price Lists Folder
Box 10: Catalogs and Price Lists Folder
Box 11: Catalogs and Price Lists Folder
Box 12: Catalogs and Samples Folder
Box 13: Books - Upholstering Topics Items
Box 14: Books - Furniture and Textile Decorative Arts Items
Box 15: Books - Miscellaneous Related Topics Items
Box 17: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 18: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 19: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 20: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 21: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 22: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 23: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 24: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 25: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 26: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 27: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 28: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 29: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 30: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 31: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 32: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 33: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 34: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 35: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 36: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 37: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 38: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 39: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 40: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 41: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Box 42: Fabric Sample/Job Records
Oversize Box 1: Fabrics and Supplies These boxes include historical fabrics and supplies, needlepoint coverings and the like removed from furniture during reupholstering. These are labeled by Mr. Reynolds for research purposes. These samples are however often fragile, dirty and include sharp tacks. Use caution and care when handling.
Oversize Box 2 These boxes include historical fabrics and supplies, needlepoint coverings and the like removed from furniture during reupholstering. These are labeled by Mr. Reynolds for research purposes. These samples are however often fragile, dirty and include sharp tacks. Use caution and care when handling.
Oversize Box 3 These boxes include historical fabrics and supplies, needlepoint coverings and the like removed from furniture during reupholstering. These are labeled by Mr. Reynolds for research purposes. These samples are however often fragile, dirty and include sharp tacks. Use caution and care when handling.
Oversized Box 4 Items
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