National Biscuit Company Salesman's Collection
Scope and Content
The National Biscuit Company Salesman's Collection consists of materials for the use of National Biscuit Company salesman, including blank order forms, a student’s training guide, and a package catalog. Although none of the materials are dated, they may date from about the 1930s. possibly earlier. The order forms and student record book are empty, but a pasted in newspaper at the back of the packaging catalog suggests this may have been used by a salesman in Maine.
The catalog contains sample packaging for a range of products, as well as examples of different kinds of racks to present the products in store. The order forms are all unused, but have space for quantities, products, prices, and include a note on the use of display covers. The "student salesman's progress record" appears to have been a training tool. It walks through the company's training program, guided by the National Biscuit Company logo, and consists mainly of questions to be answered by trainees on the company, products, raw materials, processes, advertising, and even the use of forms.
Dates
- c.1930s?, n.d.
Creator
- National Biscuit Company (Organization)
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from National Biscuit Company Salesman's Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Historical Note
Founded in 1898, the National Biscuit Company was the product of a merger among the American Biscuit and Manufacturing Company, the New York Biscuit Company, and the United States Baking Company. The new conglomerate consisted of one hundred-fourteen bakeries across the United States and was headquartered in New York City.
Though the name “Nabisco” was first used as the name for a specific product introduced in 1901 (a sugar wafer), and was used within the company at least as early as the 1930s (likely sooner), the corporate name was not shortened to Nabisco, Inc. until 1971.
In 1981, Nabisco merged with Standard Brands, Inc., which later became part of R. J. Reynolds. It has since become part of several more mergers and separations. It is currently a subsidiary of Mondelēz International.
Extent
0.3 Cubic Feet (1 box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The National Biscuit Company Salesman's Collection consists of materials for the use of National Biscuit Company salesman, including blank order forms, a student’s training guide, and a package catalog. Although none of the materials are dated, they may date from about the 1930s, possibly earlier. The order forms and student record book are empty, but a pasted in newspaper at the back of the packaging catalog suggests this may have been used by a salesman in Maine.
Acquisition Information
The National Biscuit Company Salesman's Collection was purchased by Special Collections in March 2015.
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the National Biscuit Company Salesman's Collection was completed in June 2017.
- Title
- National Biscuit Company Salesman's Collection c.1930s, n.d.
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Kira A. Dietz, Archivist
- Date
- ©2017 Virginia Tech. All rights reserved.
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu