Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly Catalog collection, 1997-2007

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Summary

Creator:
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abstract:
Abercrombie and Fitch was founded in 1892 as a sporting goods supplier and expedition outfitter. It currently specializes in upscale sportswear aimed at children and young adults. The Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly Catalog Collection consists of a run of lifestyle-oriented clothing catalogs issued between 1997 and 2007. The catalog featured articles on a wide range of youth popular culture and lifestyle topics, along with numerous photographs by Bruce Weber. Articles included advice, music and movie reviews, and profiles and interviews with celebrities and cultural critics such as philosopher Slavoj Žižek. The Creative Director for the catalog series was Sam Shahid, who had previously worked in the in-house advertising agencies for Calvin Klein and Banana Republic. After 2003, the lifestyle content and controversial photography was scaled back to focus more narrowly on seasonal fashion.
Extent:
3 Linear Feet
34 Items
Language:
Material in English
Collection ID:
RL.00007

Background

Scope and content:

The Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly Catalog Collection consists of a run of lifestyle-oriented clothing catalogs issued between 1997 and 2007. The catalog featured articles on a wide range of youth popular culture and lifestyle topics, along with numerous photographs by Bruce Weber. Articles included advice, music and movie reviews, and profiles and interviews with celebrities and cultural critics such as philosopher Slavoj Žižek. The Creative Director for the catalog series was Sam Shahid, who had previously worked in the in-house advertising agencies for Calvin Klein and Banana Republic. After 2003, the lifestyle content and controversial photography was scaled back to focus more narrowly on seasonal fashion.

The collection is arranged chronologically by issue

Biographical / historical:

Abercrombie & Fitch Historical Timeline

Chronology List
Date Event
1892
David T. Abercrombie founded a sporting goods store in his name in New York, N.Y.
1900
Ezra H. Fitch became partner in the David T. Abercrombie Co.
1904
Store incorporated as Abercrombie & Fitch
1907
Abercrombie resigned; Fitch took over management of the store but kept the name
1909
First mail-order catalogs distributed, in a run of 50,000
1910
Sportswear for women introduced
1928
Fitch retired; James S. Cobb named as President
Circa 1929
Sporting goods company Von Langerke & Detmold (known in Chicago as Von Langerke & Antoine) purchased
1930
Griffin & Howe, a New York gun shop, purchased
1961
John H. Ewing named as President
1968
First warehouse sale conducted
1970
William Humphries named as President
1976
Chapter 11 bankruptcy filed
1977
Abercrombie & Fitch stores closed
1978
Abercrombie & Fitch name bought by Oshman's Sporting Goods
1979
Beverly Hills store opened, specializing in sportswear and fitness equipment
1988
25 of 27 stores purchased by The Limited, Inc.; focus on apparel
1992
Marketing shifted focus toward upscale youth
1997
Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly catalog debut
1998
Abercrombie & Fitch spun off as an independent entity
2003
Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly catalog ceased publication

Upon the demise of the Quarterly in 2003, Abercrombie & Fitch continued to issue seasonal catalogs, but the lifestyle content was largely replaced by fashion photography.

Acquisition information:
The Abercrombie Fitch Quarterly Catalog Collection were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift from John Taormina in 2008.
Processing information:

Processed by Richard Collier, January 2008

Encoded by Richard Collier, January 2008

Accession 2008-0005 is described in this finding aid.

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. There may be a 48-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the Rubenstein Library to use this collection.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly Catalog Collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.