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Wolf Envelope Company film

Creation: 1931-1935
 Collection
Accession: 2022-201

Abstract

The Wolf Envelope Company was an envelope, stationery, and novelties manufacturer in Cleveland, Ohio, during the twentieth century. Founded in 1899 by Louis Littman (1855-1937), the company was greatly expanded by Harry Fleishman Affelder (1881-1963), who joined in 1913 and eventually became President. This collection consists of one silent 16mm film, commissioned by Affelder, primarily documenting the daily operations at the Wolf Envelope Company's facilities in 1935. Also included are a few short clips showing the manufacturing processes employed by other envelope industry companies, including the Berkowitz Envelope Company in Kansas City, Missouri, a paper mill in Berlin, New Hampshire, and John Dickison & Company in Washington, Tyne and Wear, England.

Dates

  • Creation: 1931-1935

Creator

Extent

1 item(s)

Physical Description

1 reel (950 feet) : si., b&w ; 16mm. TRT 00:25:53.

Historical Note

The Wolf Envelope Company was an envelope, stationery, and novelties manufacturer in Cleveland, Ohio, during the twentieth century. The company was founded in 1899 by Louis Littman (1855-1937), a German immigrant and former lithograph salesman, with financial help from his friends Alfred Wolf (1854-1928) and Nathan Dreyfoos (sometimes spelled Dreyfuss) (1860-1949). Their products were hand designed and primarily created for advertising purposes, quickly becoming a favorite among local businesses in the Cleveland area. In 1909, as a response to growing sales and production requirements, the company relocated to a larger facility and purchased several industrial-sized folding machines. These changes allowed the company to diversify its products and speed manufacturing, leading to further growth.

In 1913, Harry Fleishman Affelder (1881-1963) joined the Wolf Envelope Company. Affelder had married Louis Littman's daughter, Rhonda Littman (1883-1969), the year before and had previously worked for the Westinghouse Company as a gas engine designer. Although he joined Wolf Envelope as a superintendent, Affelder was a trained mechanical engineer and used his skills to further mechanize envelope and stationery manufacturing. By 1929, he was serving as General Manager, with Alan Littman (1895-1968), Louis Littman's son, serving as the Director of Sales.

Under Affelder and Littman, the Wolf Envelope Company continued to expand. They acquired a smaller envelope company in Detroit, Michigan, designed and patented new paper folding and cutting machinery, and manufactured V-Mail envelopes during World War II. In 1946, Affelder rose to President of the Wolf Envelope Company and held that position until 1956, when Littman succeeded him.

In 2011, the Wolf Envelope Company was acquired by Double Envelope and its parent company, BSC Ventures.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of one silent 16mm film documenting the daily operations at the Wolf Envelope Company's Cleveland, Ohio, facilities in 1935. Commissioned by Harry Affelder, the film primarily shows the various manufacturing processes required in envelope production, such as paper cutting and rotary machine operation. Also included are exterior shots of the factory, scenes of Affelder and administrative assistants working in the front office, and an employee wedding.

The film also contains a few short clips, likely shot or collected by Affelder, of the manufacturing processes employed by other envelope industry companies beginning in 1931. These companies include the Berkowitz Envelope Company in Kansas City, Missouri, a paper mill in Berlin, New Hampshire, and John Dickison & Company in Washington, Tyne and Wear, England.

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Language of Materials

English

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title:
Wolf Envelope Company film
Author:
Ona Coughlan
Date:
2022
Description rules:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description:
English
Script of description:
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Audiovisual Collections Repository

Contact:
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