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VIRGINIA "JIMMIE" BOOTH COLLECTION, 1936-1998
#729
by: Anne Jones, 2003
(3 cu. ft.: 1 DB, 3 FltB, 2 F/O, 3 O/S Fldrs)
Biographical Note
Virginia Wagoner Booth, known as Jimmie Booth, studied printing and engineering at Syracuse
University. An engineer with Pratt & Whitney during World War II, she entered the fashion
world as a bridal consultant at G. Fox in Hartford in 1945.
In 1952 Dorothy Shaver, of Lord & Taylor, hired Booth for the Hartford store and asked her to
develop and manage The Country Clothes Shop in the 5th Avenue store in New York. There,
Booth collaborated with and promoted such American designers as Clare Potter, Bonnie Cashin,
and Claire McCardell. Booth also worked extensively with European designers.
Married to Bob Both of Hillendale Weavers, Jimmie promoted the use of both American and
European hand-loomed fabrics by her designers. She frequently modeled the fashions herself.
Her casual, yet elegant, style is the epitome of "the American Look" still popular today.
In 1998, Jimmie Booth, Dorothy Shaver, and other creators of The American Look were saluted
in the exhibition, "Designing Women: American Style 1940-1960" at the Wadsworth Atheneum
in Hartford.
In addition to her design work, Booth was a violinist with the Hartford Symphony in the 1940s,
and later became the chef at the Brooklyn, Connecticut, Golden Lamb Buttery, which she and her
husband, Bob, own and operate.
Scope and Content
This collection is arranged in seven series:
Series 1: PERSONAL PAPERS, PHOTOS, AND MEMORIBILIA, 1936-1998
This series includes materials dating from Booth's college days and recent years.
Series 2: HILLANDALE BUSINESS, 1948, 1949, 1972, n.d.
This series consists of advertisements, articles, and correspondence.
Series 3: LORD & TAYLOR COUNTRY CLOTHES SHOP, 1952-1960s
Photographs of the store, advertising, news articles, original illustrations and catalogues.
Series 4: IRISH MATERIALS, 1950s-1960s
Articles and photographs of the weavers at work.
Series 5: EUROPEAN DESIGNERS, 1955, 1967, 1997, n.d.
Articles and photographs related to Donald Davies and Von Eckerman.
Series 6: AMERICAN DESIGNERS, 1948, 1951-1957, n.d.
The bulk of this series consists of a large number of original sketches by Clare Potter, including
fabric swatches. There is also a large scrapbook of Potter's featuring articles and advertisements.
Series 7: MISCELLANEOUS, 1962
An issue of the trade publication, The Ambassador.
Provenance
This collection was donated to the Archives Center in May, 2000 by Virginia "Jimmie" Booth.
Related Collections
DOROTHY SHAVER PAPERS, ca. 1922-1959, #671
Container List
| Box |
Folder |
|
|
|
Series 1: PERSONAL PAPERS, PHOTOS, AND
MEMORABILIA, 1936-1998 |
| 1 |
1 |
College Related Materials |
|
2 |
Syracuse University Publications |
|
3 |
Souvenir Theatre Programs, 1930s |
|
4 |
Horse Show Programs, 1953 |
|
5 |
Jimmie and Robert Booth |
|
6 |
Newspaper Articles |
|
7 |
Miscellaneous Photographs of Jimmie |
| 1 |
8 |
Photos of Jimmie Modeling |
| 2 |
4 |
Photos of Jimmie Modeling |
| 1 |
9 |
Glamour Magazine, July 1959 |
|
10 |
Biography of Jimmie done as school project, 1997 |
|
11 |
Gallery Guide, "Designing Women" Show, 1998 |
|
12 |
Photographs: Jimmie at "Designing Women" Show, 1998 |
| 2 |
1 |
Articles from This Week, 1950-1952 |
|
2 |
Article about Jimmie from This Week, June 15, 1952 |
|
3 |
Jimmie in Sligo Ltd. ad in Town & Country, September 1955 |
|
|
|
|
|
Series 2: HILLANDALE BUSINESSES, 1948, 1949, 1972, n.d. |
| 1 |
13 |
Photometric Article, Time magazine, June 7, 1948 |
|
14 |
New England Homestead, October 1949 |
|
15 |
Article about Hillandale, n.d. |
|
16 |
Yankee Magazine, September 1972 |
|
17 |
Connecticut Magazine, October 1972 |
|
18 |
Hillandale Handweavers, Correspondence |
|
19 |
Hillandale advertising |
|
20 |
Hillandale Barn/Golden Lamb Buttery |
|
|
|
|
|
Series 3: LORD & TAYLOR/COUNTRY CLOTHES SHOP,
1952-1960s |
| 1 |
21 |
Country Clothes Shop - Interiors |
|
22 |
Window Displays, 1950s |
|
23-24 |
Window Displays, 1960s |
|
25 |
Fashion Photographs |
|
26 |
Lord &Taylor Advertising, "Pride of Ireland" |
|
27 |
News Articles about the "Pride of Ireland" campaign |
| 2 |
5 |
Lord & Taylor/Clare Potter Advertisement |
|
6 |
Vogue, July 1952 - Lord & Taylor dress shown |
|
7 |
Lord & Taylor Christmas Catalogue, 1956 - Country Clothes Shop
featured |
|
8 |
Lord & Taylor "British Fortnight," 1958 |
| MpCD |
1-3 |
Original Hood Illustrations for Advertisements, 1957-1958 |
|
|
|
|
|
Series 4: IRISH MATERIALS, 1950s-1960s |
| 1 |
28 |
Time Magazine, 1963 |
|
29 |
Ireland Magazine, 1960s |
|
30 |
General Interest Magazines |
| 2 |
9 |
Photographs: Clothing Manufacturing, Shannon, Ireland [Probably
Sligo, Ltd.] |
|
10 |
Photographs: Clothing Manufacturing, Ireland |
|
11 |
Photographs: Edward Doughty & Sons (Drogheda, Ltd.)
Handweavers, Donegal |
|
12 |
Photographs: Handweavers, Enniskerry, County Wicklow |
|
13 |
Photographs: Irish Linen Workers |
| 3 |
1 |
Photographs: Irish Craftsmen |
|
2 |
Photographs: Irish women in Woolshop, Irish village |
|
3 |
Photographs: Irish Scenes |
|
4 |
News Articles about Irish Crafts, 1960s |
|
5 |
News Articles about Ireland-General, 1960s |
|
|
|
|
|
Series 5: EUROPEAN DESIGNERS, 1955, 1967, 1997, n.d. |
| 3 |
6 |
Subil Conally: Article in Victoria Magazine, March 1997 |
|
7 |
Donald Davies: Advertising and Promotion |
|
8 |
Donald Davies: Fabric Swatches |
|
9 |
Donald Davies: Photographs: Davies' Designs |
|
10 |
Davies Shopping Bag, and Photograph and Drawing of Store |
|
11 |
Davies: Ads in American Newspapers |
| 5 |
2 |
Donald Davies: Ad for Lord & Taylor, New York Times, 1967 |
| 3 |
12 |
Donald Davies: Articles in British Newspapers |
|
13 |
Donald Davies: Featured in Magazines |
|
14 |
Donald Davies: Management consultants report, 1955 |
| 5 |
1 |
Donald Davies: Photograph of Estate, Enmskerry |
| 3 |
15 |
Donald Davies: Miscellaneous photographs of Davies and Others |
|
16 |
Countess Von Eckermann & Weavers, Ripsa, Sweden |
|
17 |
Countess Von Eckermann: Photographs of Von Eckermann Designs |
|
18 |
Countess Von Eckermann: Newspaper Articles |
|
19 |
Photographs of models in Irish fashions |
|
|
|
|
|
Series 6: AMERICAN DESIGNERS, 1948, 1951-1957, n.d. |
| 3 |
20 |
Claire McCardell: Article in Life Magazine, 7 June 1948, page 103 |
| 4 |
1 |
Clare Potter: Sketches: Resort, 1951-1952 |
|
2 |
Clare Potter: Sketches: Resort and Holiday, 1953 |
|
3 |
Clare Potter: Sketches, Fall 1954 |
|
4 |
Clare Potter: Lord & Taylor Ad |
|
5 |
Clare Potter: News Article, n.d. Clare Potter obituary from the New
York Times, 11 January 1999 |
|
6 |
Clare Potter: Photographs: Clare Potter and her home, includes
Halsman contact sheet |
| 6 |
-- |
Clare Potter: Scrapbook of Articles and Advertisements, 1955-1957 |
| 4 |
7 |
Phelps Leather Goods (William and Elizabeth Phelps) |
|
8 |
Other American Designers |
|
|
|
|
|
Series 7: MISCELLANEOUS, 1962 |
| 4 |
9 |
The Ambassador British Trade Publication, 1962, Number 9 |
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