The Hagley Vault

Selections from Hagley Museum and Library's archives and published collections on the history of American business, technology, and innovation.

October 7, 2024

It's starting to feel like Fall on the Hagley grounds, and we love to see it. So this week, we're sharing this October 1957 issue of Avon Product's Outlook, the company's in-house magazine for its' sales representatives that contained motivational essays, updates on new and discontinued product lines, and instructional materials.


Avon Products, Inc., is one of the oldest direct selling companies in America.  It traces its origins to 1886, when David H. McConnell (1856-1937) bought the Union Publishing Company of  New York City and started manufacturing perfumes to give away with his books.  He soon discovered that his customers were more interested in the fragrances than the books, and he decided to concentrate on selling perfumes. 

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Archive

For posts prior to October 2020, visit the Hagley Vault on Tumblr.

Thursday, October 1, 2020
Hello, Sweater Weather! We're cozying up to October...
Hello, Sweater Weather! We're cozying up to October today with this 1965 September/October cover of Dupont Magazine. Established in 1913, DuPont Magazine publicized the products and progress of the DuPont company during the twentieth century. The issues include articles, product information, and advertisements on topics such as dynamite, quarrying...
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Today's #WorkerWednesday post features Peggy Ward, a "yarn inspectress"...
Today's #WorkerWednesday post features Peggy Ward, a "yarn inspectress" at DuPont's nylon plant in Seaford, Delaware. She appeared on this May/June, 1953 issue of Better Living as part of a story about her experience working as a salesperson behind the hosiery counter of Strawbridge & Clothier's Wilmington, Delaware department store. Better...
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
There are a lot of national and international Coffee Days out...
There are a lot of national and international Coffee Days out there, from the All Japan Coffee Association's preferred date of October 1st (established 1983 and adopted by the International Coffee Organization in March 2014) to New Orleans' Southern Food and Beverage Museum's date of October 3rd (established 2009). Mongolians set theirs as early...

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