32 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



May 10. 1922 



Red Gum' (in circular symbol) was selected, as we had become 

 and still are nationally know^n as the Figured red gum specialists 

 and leading producers.*' 



The arrangement of the words lends itself to the use of color in 

 bringing out the "red" syllable. This is frequently employed. 



The use of samples has been referred to above. This has proven 

 to be one of our most effective selling ideas. While many manufac- 

 turers and distributors of veneers have used samples heretofore, 

 few^ have emphasized their willingness and desire to submit them 

 to the user as w^e have. In practically all our advertising we have 

 announced that full-sized samples are furnished on request. The 

 manufacturer who has an opportunity to look over these samples, 

 in sizes large enough to enable their effect in use to be visualized, , 

 is almost certain to be impressed with their beauty and with their 

 adaptability to his particular line. 



We also brought a new idea into use in reproducing in our ad- 

 vertising photographs of products made from figured red gum. 

 Previously most advertising of veneers and panels had shown the 



materials themselves, or had been run w^ithout illustrations. When 

 w^e began show^ing the final product, in colors, w^hich gave a splen- 

 did idea of the possibilities of the material, it made a very favorable 

 impression on manufacturers. 



The Louisville Veneer Mills manufacture a complete line of 

 veneers and panels, and can supply the consumer w^ith any class of 

 thin lumber or plyw^ood desired. However, the value of specializa- 

 tion is shown in our case, since a large percentage of our business 

 today is in figured red gum products. Our position in this respect 

 is so thoroughly established, as the result of the prestige and good- 

 will accumulated through the past eleven years of aggressive ad- 

 vertising and careful manufacturing, that this business is much 

 more satisfactory to us, and we believe to our custoniers, than 

 the ordinary run of trade. 



We have tried to make a better product, and while we are w^illing 

 to sacrifice modesty sufficiently^ admit that the world has made a 

 fairly well-defined path to our plant, we agree that it was good 

 advertising back of a good product that turned the trick. 



Construction Begins on American Furniture Mart 



Building in June 



1 



The American Furniture Mart building, which will be the largest 

 furniture exhibition building in the world, and afford the first real 

 big scale concentration in Chicago of furniture exhibits, has passed 

 beyond the stage of promotion and become an actuality. The 

 project, great as it is, involving the expenditure of six millions of 

 dollars, and the creation of 1,500,000 feet of floor space on six- 

 teen spacious floors, is no longer a proposal but an established fact. 



Final working plans have been made and general contract closed 

 by the American Furniture Mart Building Corporation with the 

 Wells Brothers Construction Co., 9 I 4 Monadnock building, Chi- 

 cago, and the latter are almost ready to begin work. 



Ninety-two hun- 

 dred tons of struc- 

 tural steel have 

 been purchased 

 from the American 

 Bridge Co. and the 

 Inland Steel Co. has 

 been given an order 

 for 2,700 tons of 

 re-inforcing for 

 concrete w^ork. 



Not later than 

 June 1 5 construc- 

 tion will be under 

 way and within the 

 months that follow 

 the great building 

 that is to «erve as 

 a living monument 

 to the furniture in- 

 dustry and to Chi- 

 cago as a national 

 furniture exhibition 

 center, will steadily 

 lift its handsome 

 vertical bulk of 

 brick and terra 

 c o t t a above the 

 shore of Lake Mich- 

 igan, upon which it 

 will be built. 



In June. -1923, 

 the huge building 



Henry Raeder. Architect 



THE AMERICAN FURNITURE MART, ARCHITECT'S FINAL DRAWING 



LOCATION — Chicago, seven blocks north of Madi- 

 son street, three blocks from Lake Michigan. 

 SIZE — Sixteen stories and basement, over 1.500.000 

 fret of floor. 



CONSTRUCTION— Concrete and steel, terra cotta 

 and brick exterior, well finished and fireproof. 

 ARRANGEMENT — 20 x 100-foot exhibition space 



will be opened for its first great furniture show, when will be in- 

 augurated a new era in American furniture merchandising history 

 and Chicago's greater career as a furniture exhibition center begin. 

 Already six solid floors of exhibition space have been leased by co- 

 operating manufacturing firms in various communities for the 

 standardized ten-year period. For example, manufacturers in In- 

 diana have leased two entire floors of the building. House fur- 

 nishing lines of every description are already definitely located 

 and will be on display when the retail furniture merchants of the 

 country attend the opening in June, 1923. These lines already 

 include carpets, kitchen cabinets, case goods, chairs, stoves, tables, 



novelty lines, toys, 

 refrigerators, bed 

 davenports and reg- 

 ular upholstered 

 lines, fibre and reed 

 furniture and baby 

 carriage lines. 



Some of the best 

 known furniture 

 manufacturers in 

 the country are 

 among these early 

 lessees and are 

 lending their prac- 

 tical support and 

 endorsement to the 

 building. 



The general con- 

 tractors responsible 

 for the erection of 

 the building. Wells 

 Brothers Construc- 

 tion Company, Chi- 

 cago, enjoy a his- 

 tory of achievement 

 in industrial and 

 commercial con- 

 struction w^ h i c h 

 gives assurance, if 

 any further is 

 needed, that the 

 building will be of 



{rontiuitcil on 

 lififjr 4."i) 



units fronting on marble corridors, fireproof parti- 



fons between spaces, plate glass fronts at aisle 



exposures, doors locked when salesmen not in 



attendance. 



CLUB— Half of top floor for the Furniture Club, 



containing all features of modern city club except 



sleep'ng quarters. 



