Manufacturer's Exhibition Building and a Follow Up
More follow up to a previous follow up.
I've found more information on the 1933 Century of Progress. If you are reading this you must be a computer person. I was doing a You tube search for the 1933 Century of Progress for fun and was surprised at what was available. Here is a link to the houses that I was talking about:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ixX45Fqc4M
I have no idea how many different videos you can find, there are several of the home movie type. You know if you do the same search at two different time you may get different results. Good luck and enjoy.
Manufacturer's Exhibition Building Receipts
For this week’s History Corner we are looking at a few receipts from 1911 & 1912. We have boxes of this stuff that we are still sifting through. We are so lucky that this material was not lost to history, and for that I’m grateful.
THE MANUFACTURERS’ EXHIBITION BUILDING COMPANY, thirteen nineteen Michigan Avenue, CHICAGO is the name on these receipts. All are dated 1911 or 1912. These are receipts from the time that the Coppes, Zook & Mutschler Co. rented floor space to display their lines of furniture and kitchen cabinets at one of the most important furniture venues of the time.
Chicago and Grand Rapids had large multi-story display buildings where companies around the country could rent floor space to display their products. These Manufacturers Exhibition Buildings were big business, where a manufacturing concern like the C, Z & M Co. could connect with hundreds of furniture dealers at one place. I can’t imagine a furniture store dealer not wanting to attend the Manufacturer’s Exhibition displays to see the latest and best designs. I also can’t imagine a manufacturing concern not wanting to display their goods at one of these buildings. It is just good business.
We have found five receipts so far - two are for floor space rent and three are minor charges for packing and shipping something back to the factory in Nappanee. I’m guessing the item shipped back to the factory may have been in the form of a “more information wanted, sign up form” (my words) or brochures along with addresses the C, Z & M Co. may have wanted to send to prospective customers.
The two receipts for floor space rent cover approx. one full year. From July 1st, 1911, thru June 15th, 1912. The description of this space is “South Half of Section 4 and all of Section 6, third floor, 2700 ft. at a cost of $675.00 for 6 months." Wonder if we will ever know how long Coppes, Zook & Mutschler exhibited at these “Manufactures’ Exhibition Buildings?"
Here is a link to 1319 Michigan Ave, Chicago from Google Maps. I personally do not think this same building was there in 1912, what do you think?
Here is another link to the Building that was the Manufactures Furniture Exhibition Building in Grand Rapids. I’m almost sure that the C, Z & M Co. had exhibitions in Grand Rapids also, but so far no proof of it.
https://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/2014/04/waters_building_will_become_a.html