John Wagner and Sons, Inc. records
02
Finding aid prepared by Celia Caust-Ellenbogen and Sarah
Leu through the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden
Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories.
Last updated on March 25, 2015.
Philadelphia History Museum
John Wagner and Sons, Inc. records
Table of Contents
Summary Information....................................................................................................................................3
Biography/History..........................................................................................................................................4
Scope and Contents....................................................................................................................................... 4
Administrative Information........................................................................................................................... 5
Controlled Access Headings..........................................................................................................................6
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John Wagner and Sons, Inc. records
Summary Information
Repository
Philadelphia History Museum
Creator
John Wagner and Sons, Inc.
Title
John Wagner and Sons, Inc. records
Call number
02
Date [bulk]
1847-1980
Date [inclusive]
1772-1990
Extent
2.75 linear feet
Language
English
Abstract
John Wagner and Sons, Inc. began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1847
as a cigar importing business, but soon added wines, teas, and spices to
its list of imports. Later on, the company expanded into the specialty food
market. The Wagner family sold the business in 1950 and it changed
hands a few more times until 2000, when it was purchased by Williams
Foods, Inc., which as of 2014, still sells Wagner's brand products. The
John Wagner and Sons, Inc. records, 1772-1990 (bulk 1847-1980), consist
primarily of documents relating to John Wagner and Sons, including
financial ledgers and receipts, photographs, letters, delivery records,
property documents, price lists, product labels, publicity materials,
employee records, and other materials. Also present in the collection is a
small amount of materials that pre-date the business.
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John Wagner and Sons, Inc. records
Biography/History
John Wagner and Sons, Inc. began as a cigar importing business on Dock Street in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania in 1847. Soon, the company added wines, teas, and spices to its list of imports due to
customer demand. Later on, the company expanded into the specialty food market. Operating under the
slogan "Purveyors to epicures since 1847," Wagner and Sons sold to a clientele that included prominent
bankers and business leaders in Philadelphia. Wagner and Sons also shipped goods throughout the United
States by way of the Pony Express. President Ulysses Grant was one of the company's patrons, at one
time purchasing 2,000 Cuban cigars.
The Wagner family owned the business until 1950, when it was purchased by a group of Philadelphia
businessmen. In 1954 the company moved to a location near Hatboro, Montgomery County,
Pennsylvania. The Starr family, a member of whom had been part of the group that purchased
Wagner and Sons in 1950, bought the company in 1960 and moved its headquarters to Ivyland, Bucks
County, Pennsylvania. In 1977 Wagner and Sons became the first company in the United States to sell
decaffeinated teas. In 1991, Wagner and Sons opened a museum detailing the company's history, the
Wagner Museum, next to the company's outlet store in Ivyland. In 1996, the Starr family sold the business
to Rose Spice, Inc. of Wilmington, NC. The business, known at the time as Wagner Gourmet Foods, Inc.,
was again purchased in 2000 by Williams Foods, Inc. Wagner's brand products are still sold as of 2014 by
Williams Foods, Inc.
Bibliography:
Siebert, S. E. "Preserving a Long Tradition Purveying Edibles to Epicures Ralph Starr Relies on History
to Guide John Wagner & Sons in Ivyland." Philadelphia Inquirer, December 13, 1992. Accessed
September 26, 2014. http://articles.philly.com/1992-12-13/news/25993804_1_starr-teas-ivyland.
Warner, Susan. "Spice Rack Buys Wagner & Sons." Philadelphia Inquirer, May 24, 1996. Accessed
September 26, 2014. http://articles.philly.com/1996-05-24/business/25627314_1_green-tea-cigarbusiness-ivyland.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists primarily of financial papers, stock records, publicity materials, and other
documents relating to John Wagner and Sons. Included are: financial ledgers and receipts, 1847-1897;
a log book of tobacco and alcohol deliveries to Philadelphians, 1879; property documents; letters;
handwritten and printed price lists and catalogs; and more. There are product labels and packaging proofs,
as well as a quantity of publicity and advertising materials, such as magazine advertisements for Wagner
and Sons, photographs, and trade cards. Of special interest are Prohibition era materials, such as a form
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John Wagner and Sons, Inc. records
requesting a warrant to search Wagner and Sons for concealed liquor (1926), a notice regarding disposal
of liquor stock (1919), and a telegram stating intentions to resume liquor sales upon repeal (1933).
A small amount of materials pre-date the establishment of Wagner and Sons, including a personal account
book of John Wagner, 1783, and documents related to the importation of goods.
An item-level inventory is available on site. The Philadelphia History Museum also owns objects
associated with this collection.
Administrative Information
Philadelphia History Museum
Finding aid prepared by Celia Caust-Ellenbogen and Sarah Leu through the Historical Society of
Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories.
Sponsor
This preliminary finding aid was created as part of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden
Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories. The HCI-PSAR project was made
possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Access Restrictions
Contact Philadelphia History Museum for information about accessing this collection.
Immediate Source of Acquisition Note
Gift of Williams Food, Inc., 2002 (accession 02.5)
Processing Information Note
Summary descriptive information on this collection was compiled in 2012-2014 as part of a project
conducted by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania to make better known and more accessible the
largely hidden collections of small, primarily volunteer run repositories in the Philadelphia area. The
Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories (HCI-PSAR) was funded by a
grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
This is a preliminary finding aid. No physical processing, rehousing, reorganizing, or folder listing was
accomplished during the HCI-PSAR project.
In some cases, more detailed inventories or finding aids may be available on-site at the repository where
this collection is held; please contact Philadelphia History Museum directly for more information.
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John Wagner and Sons, Inc. records
Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
• John Wagner and Sons, Inc.
Geographic Name(s)
• Bucks County (Pa.)
• Ivyland (Pa.)
• Philadelphia (Pa.)
Subject(s)
•
•
•
•
Cigar industry
Gourmet food industry
Merchants
Prohibition--United States
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