Research Requests
Collections: substantial materials relating to six Gardner furniture companies; also some materials relating to other companies.
Holdings: Approximately 22 record boxes, plus 5 linear feet of binders etc., plus approximately 500 rolled drawings
Collection descriptions: The largest number of materials documents the Heywood-Wakefield Company. This includes company newsletters from the 1930s to 1970s; a scrapbook of the company band; promotional materials including catalogs with drawings and photographs of furniture from the 1940s to 1960; one box of materials of Joseph Carr, an important company designer; approximately 2 record boxes of photographic negatives of furniture, most taken in the 1960s and 1970s; and 400-600 large rolled drawings of furniture.
Other companies with significant documentation include Conant Ball (five record boxes, with some catalogs and other materials from the 1800s); S. Bent (catalogs, price lists and photographs; Collier-Keyworth (catalogs and photographs and written company history). Gardner Machine Works (photographs, order books, catalogs). There are also catalogs from other Gardner, and some non-Gardner companies.
Accessibility: Materials are accessible. It would be wise to call ahead if one wishes to view materials.
Copying: No facilities for copying on site
Loans: Occasionally under special circumstances
Note: The museum also has many furniture items on display