Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Brannock, Charles F.
Title:	Charles F. Brannock Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1943-1993
Quantity:	3.75 linear feet
Abstract:	Correspondence, printed material, business records, and other ephemera relating to the business and personal interests of the American businessman and inventor.
Language:	English
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Charles Brannock (1903-1992) was an American businessman and inventor, and an alumnus of Syracuse University.

Brannock was a co-owner of the Park-Brannock Shoe Store in Syracuse, New York and invented the Brannock device, the industry-standard metal plate with adjustable slides used to measure foot size. He later founded the Brannock Device Company for the manufacture and sale of Brannock Devices. Brannock was a stakeholder in the General Electric company and brother-in-law to the company’s vice president of labor and communications, Lemuel Boulware. Brannock was also involved in American conservatism at local and national levels, regularly donating to political campaigns and conservative educational groups such as the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Numerous members of Brannock’s family, including himself and his sister Norma Boulware (née Brannock), dealt with diabetes in their lifetimes.

Return to top

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Charles F. Brannock Papers consist of correspondence, clippings, printed materials, purchase orders, advertising art, and miscellaneous material related to Brannock's business and personal interests.

Advertising contains photographs, drawings, print layouts, and proofs intended for use in advertising or promoting the Brannock Device, as well as a few final printed advertisement.

Correspondence is subdivided into business and personal. Business correspondence contains communications related to the Park-Brannock Shoe Store and the Brannock Device Company. Personal correspondence is largely between Brannock and his friends and family.

Notes contains product research notes, a prototype scale model of a portion of the Brannock Device, assorted receipts, and handwritten notes documenting blood glucose levels and meal plans.

Printed materials contains assorted shoe industry ephemera, along with clippings and other informational materials related to diabetes, local politics, conservatism, and the General Electric Company.

Purchase orders contains records of sales made by the Brannock Device Company to J.C Penney Co. and Sears Roebuck Inc.

Return to top

Arrangement of the Collection

The collection is arranged into the series indicated above. Advertising is arranged alphabetically by company. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondent within each subseries. Purchase orders are arranged chronologically within each subseries. All other series are in no particular order.

Return to top

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Return to top

Related Material

The Brannock Device Company Records are held by the Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Return to top

Subject Headings

Persons

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Places

Genres and Forms

Return to top

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Charles F. Brannock Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Transfer from University Archives, 2019.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: MRC
Date: 25 Feb 2019
Revision history: 6 Apr 2020 - Related material updated (MRC); 19 April 2023 - Processed collection and updated finding aid (SAB)

Return to top

Inventory

	Advertising
Oversize 1		Boot and Shoe Recorder 1943-1951, 1957 - original art, layouts, proofs, printed ads (2 folders)
Box 1		Brannock promotional material 1954 - fliers, brochures, usage instructions, printed ads, etc.
Oversize 1		Chicago Shoe Show 1963-1964 - fliers, brochures, usage instructions, printed ads, etc.
Oversize 1		Coe Advertising Agency, Inc. 1954 - original art, proofs, layouts
Oversize 2		Dix Typesetting Co. undated - original art, proofs, layouts
Box 1		Footwear News 1960 - printed items (2 folders)
Oversize 2		Footwear News 1960, 1966 - original art, proofs, layouts
Oversize 2		Men's Wear 1943
Oversize 2		Syracuse Litho undated - original art and layouts
Oversize 2		Unidentified companies undated - original art and layouts

	Correspondence
		Business
Box 1			J.C. Penney Company 1981-1993 (2 folders)
Box 1			Sears Roebuck Inc. 1981, 1984-1991 (2 folders)
Box 1			Miscellaneous
		Personal
Box 1			Bendixen, E. Hawley 1961-1967 - Conservative Council of Syracuse
Box 1			Boulware, Lemuel and Norma 1955-1960
Box 1			Cecil, William B. and family 1957-1963
Box 1			Intercollegiate Studies Institute 1965-1971
Box 1			Miscellaneous A-M 1955-1965
Box 1			Miscellaneous N-Z and unidentified 1947-1968

	Notes
Box 2		Brannock Device 1960, 1964
Box 2		Woodward and Wright 1968
Box 2		Miscellaneous

	Printed materials
Box 2		Canada - maps, tourist information, etc.
		Clippings
Box 2			Business 1956-1960, 1967, 1984, 1987 - Carrier, General Electric, Brooks Brothers, etc.
Box 2			Diabetes 1956-1963
Box 2			Miscellaneous 1957, 1961
Box 2		General Electric 1955-1958
Box 2		Shoe business
Box 2		Miscellaneous

	Purchase orders
Box 2		J.C. Penney Company 1987-1988 (3 folders)
Box 3		J.C. Penney Company 1989-1993 (8 folders)
Box 3		Sears Roebuck Inc. 1986-1987 (4 folders)
Box 4		Sears Roebuck Inc. 1988-1993 (4 folders)

Return to top