Fonds consists of the records created, received and collected by the T. Eaton Company Limited and some of its associated operations. Most of the textual records come from the Eaton's executive offices at national headquarters, in Toronto. The fonds contains few records from lower administrative offices or from individual stores. Offices and department's represented in this fonds include: President and Vice- President, 1869-1965; Secretary, 1890-1987; Advertising and Art, 1861-1988; Controller, 1890-1975; Corporate Property Management; Public Relations, 1912-1988, Merchandise, 1889-1977; General Office, 1899-1972; Law Department; Mail Order Office, 1884-1976; Manufacturing, 1855-1961; Personnel Office, 1880-1988; Sales and Expense, 1921-1960; Statistical Insurance, 1899-1930; Staff Superintendent, 1911-1962; Store Superintendent, 1901-1979, Central Division, 1922-1979; Maritimes Division, 1897-1957, and the Western Division (Winnipeg), 1905-1961. In addition, fonds contains some textual records from the following Eaton owned companies: Brampton Tire and Rubber Company; the Eaton Knitting Company Ltd.; Guelph Stove Company Ltd.; T. Eaton Acceptance Company Ltd.; T. Eaton Acceptance Company Ltd. of Montreal; T. Eaton Maritimes Company Ltd.; T. Eaton General Insurance Company Ltd.; and T. Eaton Realty Company Ltd. Fonds also consists of ca. 90,000 photographs, created or acquired by Eaton's. Photos include prints, negatives, proofs, slides and copy prints created or supplied by Eaton's in-house photo studio and used in various departments and offices throughout the organisation. Subjects include: advertising, building expansions, displays, portraits of employees, employee activities, promotions, transportation as well as historical events such as Royal visits. Also included in the fonds are 124 posters's created between 1925 and the 1980's. Subjects are: automobiles, Centennial celebrations, clothing and dress, shoplifting and store security, department stores, paper conservation, sporting events, parades and processions, price lists, radios, restaurants, sales promotions, strikes, tapestries, and tourism. A number of items are not creations of Eaton's, including two cartoon reproductions, two Statistics Canada posters, and two posters for Sunbeam automobiles. Fonds also contains 431 architectural drawings, survey plans and decorative drawings, 1900 - 1975. These records mainly concern Eaton's merchandising properties, employee recreational facilities and Eaton family properties. There are also reference drawings for American and Western Canadian department stores by the Chicago firm, D.H. Burnham and Company, as well as mechanical designs by Russell Motor Car Company for a machine gun mounted vehicle. Also included are 16 mm. films and videotapes, created 1927-1982, pertaining to Eaton's annual Santa Claus Parade, commercials, Eaton family history, community relations, staff training and market research. As well, the fonds includes 81 hours of sound recordings (1940-1984) on audio reel and audiocassette. Sound recordings include radio commercials as well as interviews with Lady Eaton and speeches by Eaton's managers.
For a more detailed description, use this link to the Archives of Ontario's descriptive database:
http://ao.minisisinc.com/scripts/mwimain.dll/144/PROV/PROV/REFD+F+229?SESSIONSEARCH