From the archives

Shopping from the 1930s: Montgomery Ward

Exemplary outerwear

I’ve been on an ebay shopping spree for Montgomery Ward catalogs (the Archival bible). I’ve secured a few new Fall editions from the 1940s which I’ll be reprinting here–in bits–in the next few months. Copies of the 1930s catalogs are more tricky to source. Inspired by Spokesniffer and Reference Library, I’m capturing auction images as placeholders for items I did not buy. Here are a few frame grabs from vintage catalogs from the 1930s that were beyond my “buy it now” pricepoint. If I could make it so, these would all Archival offerings for Fall 2011. Smitty “Whata Sweater” would be announced as our new Archival mascot.

Smitty Sweater

Heavy weight shawl collar sweaters and cardigans

All wool blazers


Denim jackets, overalls and trousers

Canvas duck field jackets

All wool shaker sweaters

Heritage workwear for women

Pendleton blankets

6 thoughts on “Shopping from the 1930s: Montgomery Ward”

  1. Agreed! I want one with the 3/4 sleeves like this and they eiehtr fit bulky or awkward. Jackets can be harder to fit than jeans sometimes! I wish I could put on a leather jacket. Still 85 degrees here.

  2. I’m searching for tools pages from the ’30s-’40s, specifically looking for Ward’s Bloc Maker to nail down the date of one we have here.

    1. I don’t have any info on tools but I would recommend trying to pick up some of these catalogs via eBay.

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