Fashion at Buck's
Pictured: Marian Minor Pointer Porter Clements and Betty Benton Rowe Brown at the May Day Program of the Achilles School, likely 1954
Hats by Harriet Cowen
Harriet Cowen was a local artist and musician who created everything from pen and ink sketches to homemade hats. She moved to Bena in 1989 and portrayed local life and tradition in her artwork. She has created over 400 “home portraits" (1). The picture in the conclusion section of "The Watermen" exhibit is a piece that she produced.
Red Ball Rubber Boots
The Ball Band company began with the purchase of a woolen mill in Mishawaka, Indiana, in 1867 by Jacob Beiger. Jacob and his son, Martin, created the Ball Band company after their knit boot became famous in 1886 (2). Ball Band created their first first Ball Band was patented in 1901 (3). The company created rubber to be used by the U.S. Air Force during World War II. The factory shut down and the company dissolved in 1997 (3).
The Guinea watermen are famous for their "Guinea slippers," white rubber work boots that look similar to these Red Ball boots. An artistic rendering of Guinea slippers can be seen in Harriet Cowen's "Tools of the Trade" in the exhibit on the watermen. The Guinea slipper has become a symbol of Guinea and Bena culture; these boots still feature prominently in local festivities and among the watermen today.
Superba Huggies Women's Briefs
The Huggies in this photo (far right product) were manufactured by a company called Superba. Superba was founded in 1955 by Alfred Gloeckler; the company started in France and originally developed domestic knitting machines. In 1962, the company expanded into textiles, of which these Huggies were likely a product (4). This product was produced by Superba's factory in Philadelphia.
Springmaid Box of Ties
After returning to Fort Mill, South Carolina, from service in the Civil War, Samuel Elliott White created the Fort Mill Manufacturing Company in 1887 (6). The company served as a local business until 1931 when Samuel’s grandson Elliot White Springs took over. Elliot Springs served in World War I and was ranked as the 5th best U.S. pilot of the war (5). After renaming the company, Elliot Springs expanded its business to employ thousands and to work with local cotton farmers (6). Elliot used advertising that was unconventional for the time, creating a sexualized and humorous character, “Miss Springmaid,” to be used in every ad (5). Under Springs, the company became the third largest textile producer in the U.S. (5).
Conclusion
"Fashion at Buck's" potrays the clothing items within Buck's Store that remind us how this space provided for community’s clothing needs for all genders and all occasions. People have compared Buck’s to the modern-day Big Box stores due to the wide variety of items, including clothing choices, that could be found within.