Item #1521 [Sales Archive for the Curtiss Breeding Service, with Numerous Photographs and Promotional Works]. Cattle, Illinois.
[Sales Archive for the Curtiss Breeding Service, with Numerous Photographs and Promotional Works]
[Sales Archive for the Curtiss Breeding Service, with Numerous Photographs and Promotional Works]
[Sales Archive for the Curtiss Breeding Service, with Numerous Photographs and Promotional Works]
[Sales Archive for the Curtiss Breeding Service, with Numerous Photographs and Promotional Works]
[Sales Archive for the Curtiss Breeding Service, with Numerous Photographs and Promotional Works]
[Sales Archive for the Curtiss Breeding Service, with Numerous Photographs and Promotional Works]
[Sales Archive for the Curtiss Breeding Service, with Numerous Photographs and Promotional Works]
[Sales Archive for the Curtiss Breeding Service, with Numerous Photographs and Promotional Works]
[Sales Archive for the Curtiss Breeding Service, with Numerous Photographs and Promotional Works]
[Sales Archive for the Curtiss Breeding Service, with Numerous Photographs and Promotional Works]

[Sales Archive for the Curtiss Breeding Service, with Numerous Photographs and Promotional Works]

[Cary, Ill. 1960]. Approximately [50]pp. of typescript material, forty original photographs, plus numerous printed ephemera. Housed in a quarto three-ring binding in plastic sleeves. Light tanning. Minor wear at some edges. Very good. Item #1521

A terrific agricultural service and training manual, which compiles advertisements, forms, service techniques, and instructional documents for "herd technicians" of the Curtiss Breeding Service, founded after World War II and based in Cary, Illinois. "Herd Technician" was a euphemism for traveling salesman and artificial inseminator, whose principal capacities were to obtain orders for Curtiss brand frozen bull semen and to provide breeding services to local farm herds in his area. The company was founded by Otto Schnering, who first owned a large midwestern candy company, but transferred much of his interest to agriculture during World War II. The typed introduction to this manual reads, in part:

"In 1942 Mr. Schnering purchased some farms north of Chicago and proceeded to develop them. He had always been interested in agriculture and moved his family to the farm at once. In 1944 he purchased the two large farms at Cary and moved there. He and Mrs. Schnering remained on the headquarters farm at Cary until his death [in 1953]. At one time Mr. Schnering owned more than 15,000 acres in farms from 400 to 1,000 acre units, in four counties northwest of Chicago. He hired able men and had all breeds of livestock.... From one man in the first Technician Training Class (Monroe Schoessow, Cedarburg, Wisconsin, who is still with us) we have conducted a 2-week training school nearly every month. At present, we have more than 1200 distributors and technicians in 48 states. Our present stud has 143 bulls of 11 breeds, which is the largest in the country."

First among the many outstanding records present is are a photo journal of the Curtiss headquarters in Cary, including its offices, bull specimens, and storage facilities, which comprises thirty-six photographs with typed captions. Following this are typed materials for prospective technicians, including a lengthy description of job requirements and expectations, information on frozen semen prices and classifications, and a curriculum for a two-week training course. A second principal section of the manual contains example of illustrated advertising and other sales aids for Curtiss representatives. Two final sections include advice for the best pairing of bulls with cows, information on various cattle breeding awards and medal standards, and several examples of internal newsletters and organizational information.

A remarkable reflection of the development of agricultural science and American capitalism in the early 1960s.

Price: $875.00