Bellas Hess Catalog, Fall & Winter 1912 - 1913

 

Bellas Hess & Co. catalog, Fall & Winter 1912 - 1913

Jessica Hartman Jaeger collection | VintageStitches.com

 

Along with companies like Sears & Roebuck, Montgomery Ward, Spiegel, and Alden's, Bellas Hess & Co. was one of the big general merchandise companies that offered up their goods to the American consumer via mail order catalogs.

Bellas Hess & Company was founded by Harry Bellas Hess in 1907 in New York City. Initially selling only clothing through their catalogs, primarily women's attire, they expanded into household goods and general merchandise over the years. In 1927 the company merged with National Cloak & Suit Co., forming National Bellas Hess Company. In addition to acquiring National Cloak & Suit in the 1920s, Bellas Hess also purchased two other firms during that decade,  Charles Williams Stores in 1928 and Interstate Department Stores in 1929. The Great Depression saw Bellas Hess in financial trouble, they were placed in equity receivership in April 1932 and were reorganized in July of that year. 1932 also saw a name change for the enterprise, after the reorganization they were known as National Bellas Hess, Inc. The name would last until the company's demise in 1976.

Bellas Hess was headquartered in New York City from 1907 - 1932. In 1932 they moved their base of operations to Kansas City, MO and remained there until the 1970s, filing bankruptcy protection in October 1974 and ceasing to exist as a company by February of 1976.

 

Bellas Hess & Co. catalog, Fall & Winter 1912 - 1913

Jessica Hartman Jaeger collection | VintageStitches.com

I have a number of the Bellas Hess catalogs from various decades in my collection and hope to share excerpts from them on an ongoing basis.