Editor's note: Rosemary Thornton is one of the country's leading experts on Sears catalog homes. Here are excerpts of her new book, "The Houses That Sears Built: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sears Catalogue Homes," published in 2002 by Gentle Beam Publications of Alton, IL 62002.
Books
Asher, Louis E. and Heal, Edith. Send No Money. Chicago: Argus Books, 1942.
Emmet, Boris and Jeuck, John E. Catalogues and Counters, A History of Sears Roebuck and Company. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1950.
Hoge, Sr., Cecil C. The First Hundred Years are the Toughest: What We Can Learn From the Century of Competition Between Sears and Wards. Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press, 1988.
Sorensen, Lorin. Sears Roebuck and Co. 100th Anniversary 1886-1986. St. Helena, California: Silverado Publishing Company, 1985.
Stevenson, Katherine Cole and Jandl, H. Ward. Houses by Mail, A Guide to Houses from Sears, Roebuck and Company. National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1986.
Time Life Books. 1900-1910 This Fabulous Century. New York: Time-Life Books, 1969.
Magazines
Business Week, New York City, New York "Quantity Production Reaches the Homes Builder." March 26, 1930, p. 25-26.
"Sears House Plan: General Houses, Inc., Makes Houses; Sears Sell Things to Go in Them." May 2, 1936, p. 17.
"Sears Prefabricates." August 31, 1935, p. 12.
"Sears and Housing." September 2, 1939, p. 27.
Fortune, New York "Mass Produced Houses in Review." April 1933, p. 52-57.
Illinois State Journal "Dear Sirs: For Check Enclosed, Please Send Me 156 New Homes." March 27, 1967.
American Builder "Uncle Sam is Backing Up the Building Industry." May 1919, p. 23
Newspapers
Wall Street Journal, New York "Sears Will Expand Home Construction." January 22, 1932, p. 5.
Catalogues
Montgomery Wards, Wardway Homes Catalogue, 1924.
Sears, Roebuck General Merchandise Catalogue, 1908.
Sears, Roebuck Book of Modern Homes, 1908.
Sears, Roebuck Book of Modern Homes, 1909.
Sears, Roebuck Book of Modern Homes, 1919.
Sears Roebuck Book of Modern Homes, 1921.
Sears Roebuck Book of Modern Homes, 1922.
Sears Roebuck Book of Modern Homes, 1923.
Sears Roebuck Book of Modern Homes, 1924.
Sears Roebuck Book of Modern Homes, 1936.
Sears Roebuck Book of Modern Homes, 1940.
Sears Roebuck Catalogue of Seroco Paints, 1911.
Small Houses of the Twenties, The Sears, Roebuck 1926 House Catalog, Dover Publications, Inc. New York. reprinted 1991.
Homes in a Box, Modern Homes From Sears Roebuck, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Atglen, Pennsylvania, 1998.
Other parts of this story: Part 1: Building by the book | Part 2: Post-WWI building boom | Part 3: How to find and identify Sears catalog homes | A note on the number of designs |
To more OHW stories on Sears homes
Text and photos are copyright 2002 by Rosemary Thornton and may not be reproduced or distributed without her express written consent.
