Administrative Information | Search Terms | Biographical Note | Scope and Contents Note | Arrangement | PDF of Finding Aid
 

COLLECTION SUMMARY

Title:      Vera Way Marghab collection

Dates:      1883-1997 (bulk 1923-1985)

Creator:     Vera Way Marghab

Physical description:     66.44 linear feet—64 containers, 11 audio cassettes, 1 micro audio cassette, 1 VHS video cassette

Collection number:     MA 25

Language:     Collection material in English.

Repository:     South Dakota State University Archives, Hilton M. Briggs Library, South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D.

Abstract:     Collection encompasses the entire life of Vera Way Marghab. It documents her life before meeting Emile Marghab, including her childhood in South Dakota and her life as a piano student in New York City. Correspondence with her suitors, including her eventual husband Emile, is also included. While the bulk of the collection is related to her personal life, Vera's work at the helm of the Marghab companies is also represented, as are the official records of the businesses.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Provenance:     This material was donated to the library by D.J. Cline, Vera Way Marghab's biographer. The material was left to the Vera Way Marghab Trust, which was administered by D.J. Cline, Kenneth B. Way and Marion S. Pierpont upon Vera's death. D.J. Cline used much of the material for her biography of Vera, and she retained it until its completion and subsequent publication. She was given permission by the trust to donate materials to the archives in 1998. After attempting a rudimentary sort of the material, D.J. donated it to the archives in 1999.

Access Restrictions:     This collection is open to research without restriction. Items in this collection do not circulate and may be used in-house only.

This collection is housed at an off-site facility. Requests to view this material must be made at least 24 hours in advance.

Copyright Status:     Copyright 2009 by South Dakota State University and SDSU Archives. Please credit the SDSU Archives if you copy or reproduce material from this finding aid.

It is the responsibility of anyone reproducing material to determine the copyright holders and obtain permission from them if necessary. Archives staff will provide available copyright information on request. Please note that most collections, especially those received before 1997, may not have complete information on file. (Revised 15 SEP 2003)

Preferred Citation:     [identification of item]. Vera Way Marghab collection, MA 25, South Dakota State University Archives, South Dakota State University, Brookings, S. D.

Processing Information:     The Business records series was processed by Crystal J. Gamradt and Elizabeth B. Scott on 8 February 2000. The processing of the Personal records was completed by Ashley Van Maanen on January 15, 2009.

SELECTED SEARCH TERMS

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the subject guide. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.

Names:

• Fairchild, Henry Pratt.

• Marghab, Vera Way.

• Marghab, Emile.

Subjects:

• Advertising—Embroidery.

• Advertising—Linen.

• Decoration and ornament.

• Business records.

• Businesswomen—Madeira Islands—Madeira.

• Businesswomen—South Dakota.

• Commercial correspondence.

• Embroidery—Design.

• Embroidery—Marketing.

• Embroidery industry—Employees.

• Embroidery industry—Madeira Islands—Madeira.

• Employees—Dismissal of.

• Financial statements.

• Household linens—Design.

• Household linens—Marketing.

• Household linens industry—Employees.

• Household linens industry—Madeira Islands—Madeira.

• Mayflower II (Ship).

• Stores, Retail.

• Textile industry—Employees.

• Textile industry—Madeira Islands—Madeira.

• Textiles—Design.

• Textiles—Marketing.

Organizations:

• Emile Marghab, Inc.—Records and correspondence.

• Emile Marghab, Ltd.—Records and correspondence.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Vera Way Marghab was co-founder and president of Emile Marghab Inc., New York, and Marghab, Ltd., Madeira. This business produced linens designed by Mrs. Marghab and embroidered by skilled artisans in Madeira. She was born to Stitzel X. Way and Kathryn Bacon Way on August 21, 1900 in Wesley, Iowa.

Begun in 1934 by Mrs. Marghab and her husband, Emile, the business sold linens exclusively in fine shops around the world. After Mr. Marghab's death in 1947, Mrs. Marghab managed the business alone until the political situation in Madeira forced her to close in 1984. Shortly thereafter, she returned to Watertown, S.D. where she expanded her childhood home "Wayland" on Lake Kampeska, and settled into the community.

In 1921, Emile Mogabgab, a British subject and native of Cyprus, began to manage the L. Tweel Importing Co. House, a manufacturer and importer of hand embroideries in Funchal, Madeira. After a brief stint with this company, Emile moved to F. M. Jabara & Bros., another embroidery firm in Funchal.  Eventually, Emile and a friend, Gabriel Farra, organized a new business called Farra and Mogabgab Ltd., manufacturers of fine embroidery. The business operated in connection with the Jabara Company. In 1930, they leased the factory from Jabara and began to operate the business independently. By this time, they had buyers in England and in New York with Syrian-run firms and other importers. After Vera Way and Emile Marghab (Emile changed his name from Mogabgab at the insistence of Vera) were married in 1931, Emile's business began a period of healthy growth. The newly married couple began to live part of the year in Madeira.  Vera began to show interest in Emile's business with ideas for management and production.  By 1933, Gabriel Farra decided to sell his interest in the business. Emile took Vera on as a partner, and Vera and Emile immediately undertook a wide range of improvements.

The new company, now called Marghab Ltd., began to expand and improve its business. Emile and Vera attempted to raise the standard of the linens by purchasing the finest quality linen possible. Irish weavers provided linens that lived up to Marghab quality. Fine linen was not enough, however, so Vera and Emile also embarked on a quest to find a new fabric that would work well. The result was Margandie, a fabric patented by the Marghab Company. It was designed by Swiss weavers and made of the finest Egyptian cotton.

Vera Marghab was interested not only in the fabric, but also in the designs on the linens. Madeira embroiderers were held to exacting standards while embroidering designs created by Vera. Designs were repeated year after year to form a collection, an innovation of which Marghab, Ltd. was very proud. This was unheard of in the industry at the time, and helped set Marghab apart from other linen companies.

Another important improvement of the new company was the opening of a U.S. branch in 1934. Located in New York City, Emile Marghab Inc. began to work extensively on marketing the products produced in Madeira. The marketing of Marghab linens was the most distinctive feature of the business. Instead of offering the linens for sale in any shop that wished them, Vera devised a plan of creating Marghab Shops within certain larger stores. Stores chosen to house Marghab Shops had to adhere to strict standards, and agreed not to alter the very precise policy of the Marghab Shops. Among a number of strict guidelines, this policy included plans for shop layout and rules governing the display of linens. All shops were under the direction of a shop manager, personally trained by Vera Marghab.

The special plan for marketing the linens did not end with the establishment of the shops. All advertising was strictly limited as well.  Shops could not advertise without prior approval of Vera. Standards for all aspects of the marketing were extremely high and under the iron hand of Vera.

The strict monitoring of the business maintained the high quality of the Marghab product and somewhat improved the business by 1947, when Emile Marghab passed away. At that time, the Board of Directors, with Vera Marghab at the helm, decided to continue the businesses. Vera continued to exercise utter control over all aspects of the business, especially the design and marketing of materials.

The Marghab business peaked around the time of Emile's death in 1947. After his death, the business started a gradual decline and the number of shops carrying Marghab linens slowly dropped off.  Attitudes toward formal linens were changing, and the strict adherence to Marghab rules led to a decline in the shops. In addition, the Madeira embroidery guild, the (Gremio) made increasing demands that Vera found difficult to accept. Finally, by the late 1970's, these changes, coupled with political events in Portugal and Madeira, forced Vera to close the business and leave Madeira. Both businesses were fully dissolved by 1984.

Marghab linens, unsurpassed in quality, were world-famous. Many of the designs were used in palaces and embassies. Several are in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. A complete collection, 1,918 pieces and 282 designs, is in the South Dakota Art Museum in Brookings, S.D.

Related Material:

Cline, D. J., Perfection, never less : the Vera Way Marghab story, Brookings, S.D. : South Dakota Art Museum, 1998. [SD Collection: TS1725.C54 1998]

Hass, Nancy J. and Lisa Rae Lindell, Marghab rare book collection : Hilton M. Briggs Library, Brookings, S.D. : Hilton M. Briggs Library, South Dakota State University, 1996. [Archives: Z1029.M37 1996]

South Dakota Memorial Art Center. Marghab Gallery, Ideals wrought in linen : the story of Marghab, Brookings, S.D. : Marghab Gallery, South Dakota Memorial Art Center, South Dakota State University, [1970]. [SD Collection: NK9201.B7 S6]

SCOPE and CONTENTS NOTE

This collection encompasses the entire life of Vera Way Marghab. It documents her life before meeting Emile Marghab, including her childhood in South Dakota and her life as a piano student in New York City. Correspondence with her suitors, including her eventual husband Emile, is also included. While the bulk of the collection is related to her personal life, Vera's work at the helm of the Marghab companies is also represented, as are the official records of the businesses. Vera kept copious written records throughout her life, and much of that material is found in this collection. Her personal and business lives were closely related, and this collection represents that, although the material has been divided into logical, manageable parts. Due to the size of this collection, a decision was made to separate it into logical sub-groups while striving to maintain original order: Business records, Personal records, and Photographs.

The BUSINESS records series (MA 25.1) relates to all aspects of the Marghab business; official and unofficial, for the companies Emile Marghab, Inc. and Emile Marghab, Ltd. This series is arranged into ten sub-series:

• Beginnings

• Closing

• Correspondence

• Design

• Emile Marghab, Inc.

• Emile Marghab, Ltd.

• Employees

• Financial

• Marketing

• Shops.

The sub-series related to the Beginnings of the Marghab businesses is composed of the official and unofficial records for the beginnings of Emile Marghab, Inc. and Emile Marghab, Ltd. Folder contain unofficial records such as correspondence between Emile, Vera and other important figures involved in the structuring of Emile Marghab, Inc. and Emile Marghab, Ltd.  Also included are clippings, incorporation papers, and notes on the initial years at Marghab.

The sub-series related to the Closing of the Marghab businesses is composed of official and unofficial records dealing with the closing of Emile Marghab, Inc. and Emile Marghab, Ltd. Folders contain correspondence, employee contracts, power of attorney, shipping lists and travel expenses.  The bulk of the material deals with the final disposition of the property in Madeira.  Items of interest include notes on liquidation, clippings of the revolution in Portugal, and Vera's notes on the revolution and its effects on Marghab.

The Correspondence sub-series is composed of composed of correspondence dealing the Marghab businesses. Folders contain general correspondence with business associates, telegrams, letters to and from private customers, and Vera's correspondence with Helen Moore. Ms. Moore was a shop manager whose job performance closely matched the ideals of Marghab. The bulk of the material is between Vera Marghab and business associates, although some of the material is from or to friends. Since Vera devoted little time to things apart from her business interests, most of the seemingly personal correspondence actually relates to the business. Much of this material is very fragile, especially items preceding 1950.  In order to view certain items, assistance by a staff member may be necessary.

The Design sub-series is composed of materials dealing with many aspects the Marghab design process. There are several items dealing with copyrights and trademarks. Among these are records on the design process for trademark names used for Marghab materials, such as Margandie and Marlace. The legal aspect of Marghab designs is represented as well. Included in this series is a private code for use in correspondence, mainly telegrams, to prevent other firms from stealing Marghab designs and concepts. Written descriptions of designs also appear.

Of particular note in this series is material dealing with the Mayflower cloth. This design was a tablecloth designed especially for the Mayflower II voyage from England to Plymouth, Mass. in 1957. This material includes clippings and correspondence. The clippings consist of newspaper and magazine articles about the voyage of the Mayflower II and the cloth designed by Vera Way Marghab for this voyage. There are also some articles and advertisements for display of the cloth at various locations throughout the United States. The correspondence includes material from 1957 dealing with the design, and transportation of the cloth to the ship and material from 1969 when the cloth was on exhibit at the World's Fair in Australia.

The sub-series pertaining to the Emile Marghab, Inc. business is composed of records from the New York side of the Marghab business. These records are from the administrative side of the business, including by-laws, stockholders, and the board of directors. Folders contain are minutes of annual stockholders and board of directors meetings, an early background of the company, by-laws, stock certificates and president's reports. The president's reports highlight developments in the history of the business in both New York and Madeira.

The sub-series pertaining to the Emile Marghab, Ltd. business is composed of records from the Madeira side of the Marghab business. The records deal mainly with the factory, shipping, and the tourist trade in Madeira. Folders contain correspondence, information from Madeira social events, material on ambassador visits, legal documents, and materials on business with the U.S. Navy. Also included are architectural plans of Casa Marghab, the factory in Madeira. An item of note is a file on a cruise ship, the Monte Brazile, which transported Marghab linens. There was a fire on board, which caused damage to the Marghab linens.

The Employees sub-series is composed of material related to the employees of Marghab. Folders contain material on individual employees who corresponded with Mrs. Marghab or with whom there were problems. Also included are notes on the need for new employees, dismissals, and pensions.

The Financial sub-series is composed of material related to the finances of the Marghab business.  Folders contain balance sheets, cash receipts, accountant reports, payroll information, and tax records. Also included are files dealing with legal issues affecting the business, which includes embezzlement.

The Marketing sub-series is composed of material dealing with the unique plan for marketing Marghab linens. Folders contain advertisements for Marghab and other linens, price books, a guide to ticketing, and the Marghab policy that was sent to all shop managers. The policy includes several revisions made throughout the years. An item of note is a folder on problems that occurred due to the Marghab policy and high standards. Also included are several Christmas folders, another innovation of Marghab marketing.

The Shops sub-series is composed of correspondence between Vera and shop managers at the numerous shops throughout the United States and the world. Folders contain correspondence from shops that Vera Marghab would not allow to carry Marghab linens. Notes on the possibility of Vera and Emile opening their own shop also appear. Items of interest include reports of visits to shops by the Marghab's and studies of shop design. A few invoices were retained as a sample of the types of orders shops made, but the bulk was discarded.

The PERSONAL records series (MA 25.2) relates to all aspects of Vera’s personal life.  Because her personal and business pursuits were very much intertwined, there is some cross-over between the Personal records and the Business records.  This series is arranged into sixteen sub-series:

• Artifacts and ephemera

• Charities and causes

• Clippings and collected material

• Correspondence

• Financial

• Madeira and business

• Marghab Gallery and collection at the South Dakota Art Museum

• Music

• Personal life

• Persons important to Vera

• Politics

• Rare books

• Recognition

• Social activities and organizations

• Travel

• Wayland and Watertown, SD

The Artifacts and ephemera includes two small portraits which have been affixed to glass and a variety of Marghab linen patterns and samples.

The Charities and causes is composed of information regarding causes which Vera Way Marghab supported.  Included are correspondence with various organizations, lists of donations given by Vera to some of these organizations, and articles and information about various causes and issues.

The Clippings and collected material is composed of newspaper and magazine clippings and other information Vera collected regarding a variety of topics.

The Correspondence sub-series is composed of correspondence between Vera and her family, friends, and others.  Included are letters, telegrams, and cards.  There is some cross-over between this series and series “Persons.” Folders are arranged into three categories:  General, Cards, and Topics.

The Financial series is composed of materials regarding Vera’s personal finances.  Included are tax documents, investments, insurance, bank statements, estate planning information, trust information, notes about property Vera owned, and Vera’s will.

The Madeira and business series is composed of material regarding Emile Marghab, Inc., Emile Marghab, Ltd., and many aspects of the Marghab’s life in Madeira.  Because Vera’s personal life was so closely intertwined with her business life, it was difficult to separate all business related materials from the Personal series.  Please refer to Series I:  Business Records for more complete material regarding the Marghab’s businesses.

The sub-series related to the Marghab Gallery and Collection at the South Dakota Art Museum is composed of material regarding Vera’s donations of linens to the South Dakota Art Museum and the subsequent creation of the Marghab Gallery to house the linens.  Included are information about the linen auctions, the board of trustees, and the presentations of linens to the Museum.  Also included are clippings, correspondence, speeches, and notes.

The Music sub-series is composed of material regarding Vera’s musical instruction and performances.

The sub-series related to Vera’s Personal life is composed of materials regarding Vera’s personal life.  Included are calendars, lists, personal documents, and notes made by Vera about her thoughts and philosophies.

The sub-series dealing with Persons important to Vera is composed of materials regarding important people in Vera’s life and consists primarily of correspondence and clippings.  There is some cross-over between this series and series “Correspondence.”  Included is a large amount of material related to Emile Marghab, and Vera's family, including her mother, Kathryn, her father, Stitzel, and her brother Kenneth.

The Politics sub-series is composed of material regarding politics.  Included are information about persons in politics and political organizations.

The Rare Books sub-series is composed of information about Vera’s rare books and the collection that she gave to South Dakota State University.

The sub-series related to Recognition is composed of material regarding recognition of Vera’s achievements and the companies’ achievements.  Included are awards, articles, and information about a Marghab video.

The Social Activities and Organizations sub-series is composed of information regarding activities that Vera and Emile took part in and organizations which they belong to.  Included are information about visual and performing arts organizations and the Watertown Public Opinion.

The Travel sub-series is composed of information regarding Vera’s travels in the United States and abroad.

The sub-series pertaining to Wayland and Watertown, SD is composed of material regarding Vera’s Watertown home (called Wayland), her lake cabin (also in Watertown), and several other properties she owned on Lake Kampeska, as well as some information about Watertown, South Dakota.  Included are notes on events held at Wayland, lists of Vera’s possessions, and information about various construction and remodeling projects for her home.

The PHOTOGRAPHS series (MA 25.3) is not yet processed and is not yet available to researchers.

ARRANGEMENT of the PAPERS

This collection is arranged into three series: Business records, Personal records, and Photographs

SERIES 1:      BUSINESS RECORDS [MA 25.1]

This series is arranged into ten sub-series: Beginnings, Closing, Correspondence, Design, Emile Marghab, Inc., Emile Marghab, Ltd., Employees, Financial, Marketing, Shops.

Beginnings 

Box 1.

Closing

Box 2.

Box 3.

Correspondence

Box 3.

Box 4.

Box 5.

Box 6.

Box 7.

Box 8.

Box 9.

Box 10.

Box 11.

Design

Box 11.

Box 12.

Box 22.

Emile Marghab, Inc.

Box 12.

Box 22.

Emile Marghab, Ltd.

Box 12.

Box 13.

Employees

Box 13.

Financial

Box 13.

Box 14.

Box 22.

Box 24.

Box 25.

Marketing

Box 15.

Box 16.

Box 23.

Shops

Box 16.

Box 17.

Box 18.

Box 19.

Box 20.