Fall, 2015

The Muse
JOHN MEYER OF NORWICH: AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL
by Vivian F. Zoë
The quarterly
newsletter of the
Slater Memorial Museum
As early as 1660 Norwich was using its water power to mill grain, and, more than
a century later, to make paper, textiles, iron, seed-oil, cutlery, pottery, chocolate
and clocks. Investors from wealthy Boston and Rhode Island families acquired
vast areas of river-connected lands throughout the Northeast, and especially, in
Norwich. Included in these were the Browns, Almys, Tafts and Slaters. The steam
power era freed mills from geographic proximity to derive power from rivers.
By the 19th century, innovation in mechanization had made Norwich a
manufacturing powerhouse. Historians often think of Norwich’s manufacturing
zenith as a long century between 1789 and 1914. But the 20th century also
witnessed a boom in manufacturing, a “second chapter” in Norwich’s long
industrial history.
The time after World War II in Norwich was a period of significant manufacturing
and marketing growth and development, known across the country and beyond.
The genius of John Meyer of Norwich reminds us of the not-so-distant past when
Norwich was a manufacturing center and virtually every American woman wore
clothes, designed and produced in the Rose City.
(Continued on page 4)
Fall, 2015
Above Three ads from New York Magazine ca. 1960 forJohn Meyer of Norwich Inc.
A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
The Muse is published up to four times
yearly for the members of The Friends
of the Slater Memorial Museum. The
museum is located at 108 Crescent
Street, Norwich, CT 06360. It is part
of The Norwich Free Academy, 305
Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360.
Museum main telephone number:
(860) 887-2506. Visit us on the web at
www.slatermuseum.org.
Museum Director – Vivian F. Zoë
Newsletter editor – Geoff Serra
Contributing authors: Vivian Zoë,
Leigh Thomas
Photographers: Leigh Thomas, Vivian
Zoë, Barry Wilson
The president of the Friends of the
Slater Memorial Museum: Patricia
Flahive
The Norwich Free Academy Board of
Trustees:
Diana L. Boisclair
Jeremy D. Booty
Allyn L. Brown, III
Glenn T. Carberry
Keith G. Fontaine
Lee-Ann Gomes, Treasurer
Thomas M. Griffin, Secretary
Thomas Hammond
DeVol Joyner
Theodore N. Phillips, Chair
Todd C. Postler
Sarette Williams, Vice Chair
The Norwich Free Academy does
not discriminate in its educational
programs, services or employment
on the basis of race, religion, gender,
national origin, color, handicapping
condition, age, marital status or sexual
orientation. This is in accordance with
Title VI, Title VII, Title IX and other
civil rights or discrimination issues;
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973 as amended and the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1991.
While the sticky days of summer have not yet
completely receded, we look forward to the
quintessential New England days of fall. Along
with iconic images of colorful trees and brilliantly
clear skies, we bring you visions of “what you wore
when.” John Meyer of Norwich: An American
Original opens September 20 in Converse
Gallery. We are so pleased to bring to you the
fruits of the efforts of so many who contributed
stories, objects, images and documents. Principal
among these is the eldest child of John and
Arlene Meyer, Elise, without whose dedicated
commitment to preserving her parents’ legacy, the exhibition would not be
possible. Numerous volunteers and lenders assisted with the exhibition, but of
special note are Faye Ringel and Judi Deglin, who researched and wrote about
the Jewish Community in mid-twentieth century Norwich: Eileen Nagel who
processed and recorded the Meyer family archives; and Geoff Serra and Donna
Wilson, editors of skill and kindness; and, as virtually always, Barry Wilson
who is like Atlas holding up a World of exhibition installations’ needs. The
men of the NFA Facilities Department have provided immeasurable installation
support and our energetic crew of interns, Aaron Lord, Ayla Toussaint, Toria
Strickland and Paige Martin provided hours of leg (and arm!) work.
In addition to John Meyer of Norwich: An American Original, we plan a fall
full of varied programming, whether the 20th or 19th century appeals to you
best. Join us and, as always, let us know what you think of our work!
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS, PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
Thursday, Sept. 3
5:30- 7:30 pm
BOOK SIGNING: Join Us for the release and signing of
Tricia Staley’s new book Norwich and the Civil War.
Sunday, Sept. 20
4:00- 6:00 pm
OPENING RECEPTION: John Meyer of Norwich: An
American Original, This new and unique exhibition will
investigate the celebrated clothing company. Free, guests are
invited to wear John Meyer of Norwich.
Friday, Oct. 2 & 17 NORWICH WALKTOBER 2015! Bohemian
10:00 am/ 3:00 pm Norwichtown
Friday Oct. 9
3:00 pm
NORWICH WALKTOBER 2015! Norwich Free Academy
Campus: 160 Years of Progress
Saturday, Oct. 31
BOOK FAIR: Meet and mingle with talented Norwich and
Connecticut writers, enjoy light refreshments and purchase
copies of your favorite books to be signed. Please visit www.
slatermuseum.org for full program details.Sponsored by the
Friends of Slater Museum and Otis Library.
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NORWICH WALKTOBER 2015! DISCOVER THE CITY’S HISTORY
BOHEMIAN NORWICHTOWN
Sunday, October 2 at 10:00am.
Monday, October 17 at 3:00pm.
Meet at 84 East Town St., Norwich
Please call (860) 887-6964 with questions.
Salons, exhibitions and literary book clubs filled the lives
of Norwichians Ozias and Hannah Dodge, Charlotte Fuller
Eastman, Helen Newton and others. When they weren’t
teaching in their classrooms at NFA, they were working in
their downtown studios or planning the nextsoiree. Enter
the lives of Norwich’s artistic community at the turn of the
20th century. Slatermuseum.org. 2 hours, 2 miles.
Sponsored by: Norwich Free Academy & Slater Memorial
Museum.
NORWICH FREE ACADEMY CAMPUS: 160
YEARS OF PROGRESS
Wednesday, October 1 at 10:00am
108 Crescent St., Norwich, CT
Please call (860)887-6964 with questions.
Founded in 1854, NFA has been a landmark in Norwich
ever since. Intimately linked to the community, its buildings
tell the story of philanthropy, industry, education and excellence. Slatermuseum.org. 1.5 hours, < 1 mile. Sponsored
by: Norwich Free Academy, Slater Memorial Museum.
All walking tours are free, and pre-registration is not required.
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(Continued from page 1)
Left: John Meyer and Family, 1969
Elise Meyer’s family research suggests that her grandfather
Isaac Meyer travelled frequently to the mills around
Norwich arranging orders for the family garment business
in New York. He bought fabrics for use by Meyer Brothers
and for sale to other manufacturers. Isaac took a residence
in Norwich most likely to serve as a base for business trips
to the dozens of important fabric mills in the area. Family
letters indicate that members invested heavily in the stock
market and traded on each other’s stock tips. Despite their
hard work, they all suffered economic loss during the Great
Depression. Nevertheless, the company proved resilient in
harsh economic times and held on long enough for Isaac’s
son John Meyer to join the firm in 1949.
True success for the family business began in 1952 when
G. & M. Manufacturing announced its first women’s items.
A flyer excitedly proclaimed “A menswear manufacturer
producing completely man-tailored Ivy-League Type
BERMUDA SHORTS and TAPERED PANTS FOR
WOMEN! ALL in washable fabrics!” By the end of 1952
G. & M. had made $3000 from its women’s shorts line. In
a mere three years, total sales increased to over $300,000,
nearly $3M in today’s money.
The history of the Meyer family mirrors that of the Jewish
community in Norwich, which generally parallels the
history of America’s garment industry. Immigrants from
Russia, the Meyer family landed like so many Eastern
European Jews, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan
where they established a garment factory. Commerce with
textile mills brought Isaac Meyer to Norwich frequently.
After his father’s death, John Meyer took over G. & M. and
began importing fine Shetland wools and cottons from
around the world, including India, where he acquired the
renowned Madras plaids. By 1960, G. & M. was taking the
market by storm with advertising in New York publications.
Its reputation for high quality and original design, coupled
with re-branding as John Meyer of Norwich, reflected
New England pride of craftsmanship and John’s flair for
advertising. The vanguard of today’s designer brand dame
driven market, the new company’s strategy focused upon
exclusivity, and by 1962 John Meyer of Norwich held over
1200 women’s wear accounts nationwide.
The Meyer Brothers family business partnership in New
York was dissolved in the mid-30s. In 1937 Isaac Meyer
brought his whole family to Norwich, where they settled
into a house at 16 Goldberg Avenue. Tree-lined Goldberg
Avenue overlooked the Thames River, on the banks of
which perched two gigantic water-powered factories,
now condos, that would eventually produce thousands of
garments every week for John Meyer of Norwich.
In 1963 annual sales exceeded 3 million dollars (over
$23M today); a growth of over 1000% in just 11 years. John
Meyer of Norwich products soon extended far beyond the
Northeast, stretching to the American South and West. At
the company’s height, it employed nearly 300 Norwich area
residents. In addition to working with Gerber Scientific,
John Meyer of Norwich worked with other national, but
critically, local, manufacturers including Roosevelt Mills
in Rockville, and Angus Park Woolen Mill in Hanover,
Connecticut. John Meyer of Norwich also had an early
relationship with The Villager which began as a blouse
company around 1956.
By 1938 Isaac had joined forces with Philip Gottesfeld,
whose business, Gottesfeld Manufacturing, then became
Gottesfeld & Meyer Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Isaac Meyer served as President and was the “outside
man,” travelling all over Connecticut, Rhode Island,
and Massachusetts, taking orders for pants made at the
company’s factory in Norwich. Despite the economic
hardships of the Great Depression, Isaac Meyer and Philip
Gottesfeld to established the G. & M. Manufacturing
Company. Production remained small and focused on the
manufacture of affordable trousers for men.
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At John Meyer’s suggestion, Roosevelt Mills began the
production of skirts, pants and suits, using John Meyer
patterns, under the condition that Roosevelt Mills not use
fabric similar to the John Meyer line. Roosevelt Mills was
committed to Rockville, weathering foreign competition and
resisting the industry trend to move to the South to cut labor
costs. Several inventions to improve knitting machines were
patented by the company. The manufacturing process was
streamlined for maximum efficiency. At peak production
the mill could make 12,000 sweaters per week.
In Hanover, Connecticut, the Angus Park Woolen mill wove
for the U. S. Military, The Villager, Bobby Brooks and John
Meyer of Norwich. Angus Park (1859-1929) was born in
Galashiels, the center of Scotland’s woolen industry, the
Park family was largely responsible for the early twentiethcentury development of Hanover. The same enlightened
self interest, social welfare policies and philanthropy of
nineteenth-century industrialists benefited the mill village
created by the Park family. The mill closed in 1974 upon
the retirement of Angus Park (1925-2014). Included in the
roll of spinners were his daughters Merrill and Andrea who
spent their summer vacations in the 1960’s working 3:00 to
11:00 p.m. The company bought raw wool from vendors far
and wide; cleaned, dyed, spun and wove it into fine cloth.
Merrill Park Keeley recalls the scramble to correct clumps
of wool broken apart during spinning and said the mill “was
probably the only one where Seventeen Magazine pages
were plastered on the walls.”
Below: Arlene Hochman Meyer, wife and business
partner of John Meyer.
Above: John and Arlene Meyer
Partnerships
The Villager was a new York based manufacturer specializing
in solid-color button-down shirts. The Villager and John
Meyer of Norwich shared offices and a show room in New
York. John Meyer’s wife and business partner, Arlene Meyer,
and Mary Raab, wife of The Villager’s founder had much in
common. Mary was soon designing the signature prints
that made The Villager famous. The blouse was joined in
production by a shirtwaist dress in The Villager’s signature
small prints, commonly in shades of one color on white. The
shirts and shirtwaist dresses often had Peter Pan collars and
short roll-up sleeves. Like John Meyer’s Emily M, named for
John and Arlene’s second child, The Villager soon introduced
a junior line called Ladybug.
In its 1906 mill building, Roosevelt Mills of Rockville, CT,
knitted sweaters for John Meyer of Norwich and became a
major employer in Rockville and Eastern Connecticut. The
size of the workforce varied, but averaged 175 employees.
Roosevelt Mills maintained a sales office in New York City.
In addition to John Meyer of Norwich, sales were made to
major retail chains, including J.C. Penney and Montgomery
Ward. A separate corporate entity, Mill Outlet Stores using the
Roosevelt Mills’ name, was established to sell the company’s
products in Connecticut and Massachusetts. As was the case
at John Meyer of Norwich, hundreds of college girls flocked to
Roosevelt Mills for discounted wool heather sweaters.
5
Above: Original plan for the Industial Park Complex in Norwich, CT showing the location of John
Meyer of Norwich facility
Above: Original building
success. Arlene Meyer’s keen identification with the
target consumer, and the practice of producing and
marketing complete and coordinated wardrobes for
stand-alone store departments proved central to the
company’s good fortunes.
The Genius of a Life & Business Partner
Arlene Hochman Meyer was more than her
husband’s life partner and arguably more than a
business partner; she was a powerhouse intellect and
savvy entrepreneur. An English poetry major and a
talented artist, like her peers at Connecticut College,
Arlene frequently shopped the boy’s department of
Brooks Brothers for staples like Bermuda shorts and
button-down shirts.
John Meyer of Norwich clothing reflected the
relative safety, conformity and social mobility that
characterized life for some in the late 50s and early 60s.
A booming economy provided jobs and led families
to the suburbs where they enjoyed an outdoor, sporty
lifestyle of golf, tennis, country clubs and vacation
travel. John Meyer of Norwich clothing visually linked
the socio-economic position of suburbanites to the
values of individual success, civility and pleasure that
characterized American aristocracy.
Arlene Meyer received her BA from Connecticut
College in 1952,and married John Meyer on January
18, 1953. He said it was love at first sight, her legs
winning him instantly. Arlene later recalled feeding
their third baby with one hand, while sketching
designs with the other. She served as secretary of the
company and chief designer. She declared, “Young
girls start fashions, they don’t follow them ...!”
Through her college experience, Arlene had come to
realize that men’s wear would have a strong influence
on women’s fashion.
Locations
Initially, the company used a number of pre-existing,
mostly 19th century mill buildings scattered around
the city. These included weaving mills close by
Norwich’s rivers and falls. In 1968 John Meyer of
Norwich became the first tenant of the then new, 117acre Yantic Industrial Park now known as the Stanley
Israelite Business Park. Through a combination
of Federal, local, and private loans, John Meyer
contracted the F.W. Brown Construction Company to
build his new factory. The new factory was larger than
a football field and held enough space for over three
hundred employees. Costing nearly $1M (nearly $7M
today), the new building contained 144,000 square
feet of workspace and office areas and consolidated
the entire John Meyer of Norwich operation under
one roof. Previous to the construction of the new
plant, the company’s various operations had taken
place in seven individual buildings.
John Meyer of Norwich also exemplified the merging
of brand name and self-identity that matured in the
late twentieth century. The wearer of John Meyer
of Norwich clothing was sophisticated, proper and
cultivated. So profound was the wearer’s identification
with the “new look” of tailored Bermuda shorts,
wrap skirts, prim suits, proper dresses and color
coordination that many young women preserved
connections to their clothes long after they stopped
wearing them. They might remember outfits with
clarity or hold on to special sets of clothes.
The sophisticated business acumen of the Meyers
also contributed significantly to the company’s
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(Continued on page 8)
Tricia staley book release
and signing of Norwich
and the civil war
September 3, 2015
5:30- 7:30 pm Slater auditorium
“Norwich and the Civil War” is the newest release from local author Tricia Staley. This
free event is open to the public. Ms Staley will talk about her new book and will take
questions from attendees. Book signing to follow. Books will be available for purchase at
the event.
When Lincoln issued a call for troops in 1861, Norwich sprang into action. In a meeting
lasting two days, the town elected to offer cash awards for volunteers, as well as financial
support for their families. The city’s women immediately began sewing uniforms for the
volunteer soldiers, while mill owners and other wealthy locals donated funds to the war
effort. Norwich’s Dan Tyler was named head of the Connecticut regiment and led his
troops into battle at Bull Run. The town’s senator, Lafayette Foster, became acting vice
president of the United States after Lincoln’s assassination. Author Tricia Staley uncovers
stories of valor and sacrifice on the homefront and the battlefield.
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“My goal is to tell the
little-knwon stories of
the city’s soldiers and
civilians, and Norwich
residents who were
involved in all the
important events of
the war: Connecicut’s
First and Second Regiments fought under a
Norwich division commander at Bull Run;
Norwich men fought
fiercely at Antietam
and stood firm against
Pickett’s Charge at
Gettysburg...”
Presented by the
Slater Memorial Museum
of Norwich Free Academy
108 Crescent Street
Norwich, CT 06360
(860) 425-5563
www.slatermuseum.org
THE HUMAN RIGHTS
LEGACY OF RABBI
MARSHALL T. MEYER
NORWICH’S JEWISH
COMMUNITY: A CONTINUOUS
THREAD FROM 19TH THROUGH
20TH CENTURIES
ON VIEW IN THE
SLATER MUSEUM ATRIUM
SEPTEMBER 20 - JANUARY 15
Rabbi Marshall Meyer was an ordinary man whose extraordinary convictions, faith, and impetuous personality impelled
him to become one of the most important human rights activists
during Argentina’s Dirty War, also known as El Proceso (19761983). Marshall is remembered for what he did, namely his human rights work and social justice activism. But his legacy is
made that much greater by his ability to articulate why we are
all responsible for speaking out against injustice.
BY FAYE RINGEL AND JUDI DEGLIN
The history of Norwich’s Jews is also tied to manufacturing,
and the Jewish community were leaders manufacturing,
retailing in downtown stores, and, ultimately, migrating
to postwar malls on the outskirts. From factory outlets
operating in former mills and stand-alone discount stores
like Vality in Gales Ferry and Durable in Norwich, Jewish
families pioneered discount retailing. By the 1950s, Norwich had become a regional retail center, and a majority of
downtown businesses were Jewish-owned.
This exhibit, drawn from the Marshall Meyer papers at Duke
University Libraries, is not only a commemoration of the social
activism and human rights work of Rabbi Marshall Meyer, but
also explores the making of an activist. It examines the life of
a man who had an average childhood in suburban Connecticut,
was shaped by a brand of Judaism that demanded social engagement, and then was molded by the political and social realities
of life in 1960s and 1970s Argentina.
Cemeteries were the first Jewish institutions established
in Connecticut. A Hebrew Benevolent Association was
chartered in Norwich in 1879, establishing a cemetery on
the Preston border. Other Jewish organizations developed
cemeteries there and in Greeneville. Soon after, the first
synagogue formed, the Congregation of Norwich. In 1886,
the synagogue was renamed Brothers of Joseph and the
congregation built its first synagogue in 1898 on the West
Side, which had become a Jewish neighborhood. Another
synagogue, founded on High Street in 1906, merged with
Brothers of Joseph in 1960. By 1966, the congregation
moved into a building with striking modern architecture
on corner of Washington and Broad Streets.
The first Jewish settlers were attracted by jobs in the textile
mills, using their skills as tailors and loom-machinists.
Others opened small businesses in Taftville, Greeneville
and Thamesville, serving the mills’ employees. By the early
twentieth century, they were opening their own factories
with ties to the garment industry in New York.
From the beginning, Norwich’s Jews were involved in the
larger community, from politics to law and medicine to
fraternal organizations. In the 1950s and 60s, members of
the Jewish community raised funds for Backus Hospital, led
service clubs such as Rotary, Lions, Elks and Masons, and
participated in the Rose Arts Festival.
88
(Continued from page 6)
job of cutter the industry’s most highly paid, but also
the most risky. In Norwich, Benjamin Levine was one
such cutter. Although his family owned its own factory,
his skill placed him in high demand in other factories as
an itinerant cutter. As a pattern maker, Levine was also
known for exacting attention to detail in, for example,
perfectly matching plaids and checks.
The biggest obstacle to automated cutting was technical –
stacks of various types of cloth had to be held in place while
a reciprocating knife moved through them without hitting
the cutting table. Gerber realized that conquering the
challenges of automated cutting would achieve significant
savings in materials loss from human error and would
create a significant market for the machine. Gerber also
developed the first automated systems for cutting stencils
of graded patterns, drawing nested layouts of pattern
pieces, and sewing, which Gerber realized his precision
cutting machine could enhance.
Above: Dave Pearl and Joe Gerber observe cutter.
John Meyer followed the tradition of retailing directly
from the factory or in nearby industrial space. Partly
because of the Great Depression, the 1930’s saw a boom
in outlet retailing. As a youngster, John Meyer probably
witnessed the phenomenon and later parlayed it into a
destination event at the company’s fondly-remembered
sales in Taftville and other Norwich industrial sites. By
the 1970’s John Meyer of Norwich was selling garments
by other makers at these factory sales, and women
continued to flock to them.
Much of Gerber and his partner’s experimentation to
develop the first automated cutter was pursued for John
Meyer of Norwich. The company provided Gerber with a
valuable development and test environment, funding, and
early marketplace exposure for apparel manufacturing
technology.
Joseph Gerber & Innovation in Cutting Cloth
In the latter days of the company’s and the man’s pinnacle,
John Meyer engaged the brilliant Holocaust survivor
Heinz Joseph Gerber who had pioneered automation
for cartography, drafting and circuit board fabrication.
About that time, technology companies, including
Westinghouse and Gerber, were launching projects to
develop a computer controlled cloth-cutting knife. For
a century, cutting garment parts from tall stacks of cloth
had been a highly skilled trade. Early motorized cutting
machines were hand-guided, using a long, straight
blade that moved rapidly like a woodworker’s sabre saw
through stacks of fibrous cloth, which tended to shift
and pucker with blade movement. Cutters guided their
machines with one hand while holding the stack in
place with the other.
Cutting and efficient layout of apparel patterns to
minimize waste was critical, because material was the
most costly component of a garment. Errors could
cause thousands of dollars in ruined cloth, making the
Right: A 2-page magazine spread on S-70 cutter at
John Meyer of Norwich
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Madras
Although it was not the first company to do so, John Meyer of Norwich’s
use of “Real India Madras” became a company signature in the early
1960s. John Meyer said, in a newspaper interview “We had Madras
virtually to ourselves, because we understood it, knew about the many
colorings; how to prepare it and how to cut it.”
Tradition suggests that the earliest cloth from the Madras region (now
called Chennai) was made of yarn spun from karvelem patta - the tipskin of ancient trees. Archaeologists have found evidence of this yarn
at sites inhabited as early as 3000 B.C.E. During the 17th and 18th
centuries, the demand for the delicate cloth was so high that it was
considered a precious commodity.
The fabric’s familiar plaid patterns originated in the 1800’s when Madras
hand weavers were inspired by the tartan patterns worn by Scottish
regiments that occupied southern India. The natural but unstable
vegetable dyes caused the colors to bleed and fade each time the fabric
was laundered, giving the cloth its other moniker: “Bleeding Madras.”
The American consumer was well acquainted with Madras in its plain
and striped varieties. The 1897 Sears Roebuck & Company catalog lists
madras shirts for sale, and the New York Times in November 1919
reported a madras shirt shortage. By January 1960, the Wall Street
Journal reported that “the hottest thing in menswear was madras shirts
and sports jackets.”
In 1958 John and Arlene Meyer travelled to India with Max and Mary
Raab, the founders of The Villager, to source the madras that would
figure heavily in John Meyer of Norwich lines from the late fifties
through the mid-sixties.
Preppy
Though traditional interest in preppy style has fallen in the last 25 years,
some of the newer outfitters such as Ralph Lauren, J. Crew, Vineyard
Vines, and Elizabeth McKay are frequently perceived as having preppy
style, with designers such as Marc Jacobs and Luella Bartley adding the
preppy style to their lines in the 1990s. The use of the term “preppy”
came back into widespread use in the late 1990s through mid 2000s, but
took on a much different meaning from the original term.
Preppy style has long been associated with trim, prim, conservative
lines, textures and and fibers. It derived from the prep-school image of
those off to Ivy League and Seven Sister colleges. Today, the term
Right: A John Meyer of Norwich, Inc. print at from the New Yorker,
May 26, 1962
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Coming to the Slater Museum Atrium
Saturday, October 31, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE 2ND
ANNUAL NORWICH AUTHORS’ DAY!
Meet and mingle with talented Norwich and
Connecticut writers, enjoy light refreshments
and purchase copies of your favorite books to
be signed.
Please visit www.slatermuseum.org for full
program details. Sponsored by the Friends of
Slater Museum and Otis Library.
The Atrium at the Slater Memorial Museum
108 Crescent Street / Norwich, CT 06360
(860) 425-5563
“preppy” is far looser and regularly used in public and
independent high schools across North America and parts
of Europe. It still describes a subculture, but that of a social
circle of well brought up men and women who have adopted
a manner of speech, vocabulary, dress, manners and etiquette
that becomes an integral part of their lifestyle reflective of
the traditions adopted from those historically upper-class
Northeastern families.
of red ink arose as prices for cotton, wool, and petroleum
climbed. Moreover, by the late 60s young Americans adopted a wardrobe of denim and began to demonize anything
that looked like “the establishment.” As Berkeley radical Jack
Weinberg’s slogan “Don’t trust anyone over 30” rapidly became the motto of influential youth culture, young women,
also at the doors of a sweeping Feminist Revolution, increasingly rejected styles that reflected the tastes of a previous
generation.
Happily, today, a new generation of young people can experience the John Meyer of Norwich mystique and product
line through eBay, Etsy and Pinterest.
By the 1970s, John Meyer of Norwich was sold to an international conglomerate; the sale of other similar enterprises
quickly followed, and the era of locally-owned retailing ended, and with them also ended Norwich’s “second” industrial
flowering.
Decline of an Era
John Meyer’s passion for engineering led him to develop relationships with other innovators whose ground-breaking
ideas he nurtured and employed. However, personal charisma and technological innovation did not shield John Meyer of Norwich from economic and cultural shifts. A flood
of red ink arose as prices for cotton, wool, and petroleum
The author coveys immense gratitude to contributors Elise
Meyer, Leigh Thomas, John Carter, Sally Hochman, David
Gerber and Geoff Serra.
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CONNECTICUT ARTISTS
72st ANNUAL CONNECTICUT ARTISTS JURIED EXHIBITION
Converse Art Gallery
February 7 through March 18, 2016
in the
The Slater Memorial Museum has
issued its Call for Entries for the 72st
ANNUAL CONNECTICUT
ARTISTS JURIED EXHIBITION to
be displayed in the Slater Museum’s
Converse Art Gallery from February 8, through March 20, 2015. Artists who submitted work for earlier
shows should look for a reminder
card with instructions to see the museum’s website. Artists who are not
on the mailing list may download a
prospectus at www.slatermuseum.
org, or call 860-425-5563 to request a
printed copy.
ghtry
left: Kathy Conway’s entry, “The
Tropicana - Cuba Profile” which
won the CT Artist Juried Exhibition
award for best photography.
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED