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Williams-Sonoma cookware and the American kitchen, the merchandising vision of Chuck Williams, 1956-1994 : oral history transcript / 1995.
BANC MSS 97/63 cLOCALPhonotape 2856 C:1-23LOCALMotion Picture 809 DLOCAL
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Collection Overview

Title:

Williams-Sonoma cookware and the American kitchen, the merchandising vision of Chuck Williams, 1956-1994 : oral history transcript / 1995
Williams Sonoma cookware and the American kitchen, the merchandising vision of Chuck Williams, 1956-1994

Creator/Contributor:

Williams, Chuck, 1915-2015, creator, interviewee.

Creator/Contributor:

Jacobson, Lisa., Interviewer

Creator/Contributor:

Teiser, Ruth., Interviewer

Creator/Contributor:

Lester, W. Howard., Interviewee

Creator/Contributor:

O'Higgins, Thomas., Interviewee

Creator/Contributor:

Connolly, Patrick., Interviewee

Creator/Contributor:

Bancroft Library, Regional Oral History Office.

Abstract:

Charles E. Williams discusses his family background and childhood in Florida and California, war-time service for Lockheed Aircraft, Sonoma years working as a cook and culminating in the opening of Williams-Sonoma, which later relocated to San Francisco. He discusses cooking, American attitudes toward food, ethnic cooking, his own philosophy of cooking; diversification, appeal to the counter-culture, and the firm's cookbooks, catalogs, and mail-order business.
Also includes interviews with Howard Lester, Patrick Connolly, and Thomas O'Higgins, who played key roles in the Company's expansion.

Date:

1995 (issued)

Subject:

n-us-ca
Williams-Sonoma.
Cooking, American -- California
Retail trade -- California -- San Francisco
Cookware industry -- California -- Case studies

Note:

Charles E. Williams ; introduction by Howard Lester. Interviews conducted by Lisa Jacobson and Ruth Teiser in 1992-1994. Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley,
AUDIO/VISUAL MATERIALS RESTRICTED. Requests for use of original must be approved by the appropriate curator. CU-BANC
Audio tape recording of the interview also available. Classified as: Phonotape 2856 C:1-23.
Dept. of Special Collections, University of California, Los Angeles Library. Duplicate transcript.
This manuscript is made available for research purposes only. All publication rights are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to the Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Video recording of Chuck Williams 80th birthday party, Oct. 2, 1995, classified as Motion picture 809 D.
Volume includes index.

Type:

biography
Oral histories.

Physical Description:

print
1 v. (vi, 345 p.) : ill., port. ; 28 cm.
23 sound cassettes.
5 videocassettes : sd., col. ; 1/2 in.
1 box (.2 linear ft.)

Language:

English

Identifier:

BANC MSS 97/63 cLOCAL
Phonotape 2856 C:1-23LOCAL
Motion Picture 809 DLOCAL

Origin:

California

Copyright Note:

AUDIO/VISUAL MATERIALS RESTRICTED. Requests for use of original must be approved by the appropriate curator. CU-BANC
This manuscript is made available for research purposes only. All publication rights are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to the Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.