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Margaret Hodge Company project files

 Collection
Identifier: KA-0049

Summary

After graduating from Parsons School of Design in 1945, Margaret Hodge became director of fashion marketing at Vogue, and in 1967 formed her own fashion publicity firm. Hodge led various marketing campaigns integrating the fashion of Hollywood films. The collection mainly consists of Hollywood promotional material, including publicity photographs, press kits, announcements and tear sheets. Most of the material was produced from 1962 to 1976.

Dates

  • 1945 - 1980
  • Majority of material found within 1962 - 1976

Creator

Extent

1.6 Cubic Feet (4 boxes, 1 oversize folder)

Language of Materials

English

Scope and Contents

Films include Funny Girl (1968), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Lord Jim (1964), The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), Nicholas and Alexandra (1971), Robin and Marian (1976), The Sunshine Boys (1975), The Way We Were (1973), and Young Winston (1972).

Timeline of Films

1962
Lawrence of Arabia
1964
Lord Jim
1968
Funny Girl
1971
Nicholas and Alexandra
1972
Young Winston
1973
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing
The Way We Were
1975
Funny Lady
The Man Who Would Be King
The Sunshine Boys
1976
Robin and Marian

The collection primarily consists of publicity and merchandising materials related to the release of feature films. Two project files not connected to films are those belonging to the fashion labels "Mr. Dino" (Max Cohen) and "POSH" (Jay Anderson). Both Cohen and Anderson were Florida-based designers. The collection also contains clippings about a Bonwit Teller-hosted event featuring the Irish designer Patrick Porter, who was designing for Dan Keller, Inc. Dan Keller is underlined in the clippings, possibly indicating the firm was an early client.

Project files for feature films typically contain black and white numbered film stills with corresponding captions, unnumbered film stills, production stills and costume test stills, and black and white reproductions of costume design drawings. Some project files also contain reproductions of set design drawings. Unless otherwise indicated, all film stills and reproductions of design drawings are black and white.

Many project files also contain a series of black and white photographs labeled "Fashions inspired by [name of film]." The photographs are accompanied by product and designer information, retailer information, and press releases on the Margaret Hodge Company stationery.

The merchandising kits compiled for each production typically include press releases created by the film studio and by the Margaret Hodge Company. While the studio-produced materials are designed to generate an interest in the film, the Margaret Hodge Company materials promote product tie-ins for clothing and accessories, cosmetics, and travel. These merchandising materials include lists of retailers, product information, and product display suggestions. The kits are generally housed in an oversized, glossy folder.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use. Please contact archivist@newschool.edu for appointment.

Use Restrictions

To publish images of material from this collection, permission must be obtained in writing from the New School Archives. Please contact: archivist@newschool.edu.

Biographical note

Margaret Hodge graduated from Parsons School of Design in 1945 with a degree in Costume Design and Illustration. According to the Parsons School of Design Alumni Association records, she worked with Retail Fashion Affiliates, and established a public relations firm in approximately 1951. The Margaret Hodge Company, located at 15 East 48th Street in New York, primarily handled fashion accounts for manufacturers and designers. Hodge later joined the staff of Vogue magazine and eventually became marketing director. She resigned from Vogue on February 1, 1967 with the stated intention of "re-activating" her public relations firm.

Source: Parsons School of Design Alumni Bulletin, Vol. XX, April 1951, p. 3.

Organization and Arrangement

Organized in 2 series: 1. Biographical, 1945, 1967; 2. Project files, 1960-1980. Arrangement of project files is chronological by project and alphabetical within each project.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by Susan Hodge, 2000.

Related Materials

Additional documentation about Margaret Hodge may be found in the Parsons School of Design Alumni Association records (PC.03.02.01) as she was involved with the Alumni Association's New York Chapter.

The records of POSH, Inc., one of the Margaret Hodge Company's clients, are held by the Historical Museum of South Florida.

Retail publicity related to Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) will be found in the New School Archives' Saks Fifth Avenue fashion publicity records (KA.0018).

Title
Guide to the Margaret Hodge Company project files
Status
Completed
Author
New School Archives and Special Collections Staff
Date
January 25, 2010
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin