Foley's Department Store Records, 1845-2006 | University of Houston Libraries

Foley's Department Store Records comprise 42 record cartons, 16 oversized boxes, 32 bound ledgers and real estate records that are open to the public. In addition, there are 32 scrapbooks that are too fragile for public viewing. Records begin with the first stockholders' meeting held in 1911, preserved in a bound journal. Each year (primary organizational series) of the collection is divided into sub-series including Finances, Management, Marketing, Public Relations, Publications, and Oversize.

Several topical motifs recur throughout the collection. One prominent area is architectural design, represented by the construction of the modern Main Street store in 1947, followed by expansion with suburban branches in the 1960s. Suburban expansion required studies of transportation, consumer habits, as well as architectural design.

Advertising is another major theme and covers fashion, appliances, furniture, and special events. Management and public relations records reflect issues of social concern including depression era issues, war bond sales during the Second World War, and desegregation during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Preserved newspapers reveal Foley's publicity and advertising, while photographs feature coverage of the parades, Christmas windows, desegregation protests, and construction and grand opening of the Main Street store as well as the branch stores.