The Draper and Maynard Sporting Goods Company PDF Download

Author: Louise Samaha McCormack
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781548434946
Category : Manufacturing industries
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Book Description
The Draper & Maynard Sporting Goods Company: A Community Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow is the history of a company which was at the forefront of the manufacture of sporting goods. It all began when it produced a padded baseball glove per the suggestion of Arthur Irwin, the Providence Grays shortstop. Prior to this, players played bare handed. D&M is said to be the first company to design baseball gloves for specific, fielding positions. The history begins with the Draper family's early connection to the tanning and glove making industry and follows the growth of the company through the partnership of Jason F. Draper and his brother-in-law John F. Maynard and the transformation of the business into one of the pioneers of the new sporting goods industry. In its heyday D&M boasted endorsements by major league stars like Babe Ruth and Shoeless Joe Jackson while entertaining several visits from the world-champion Boston Red Sox. It led the way in both research, development and marketing and was renowned for the quality and craftsmanship of their products. D&M became a major supplier of sporting goods for professional, college and recreational use as well as for the troops during World War I. The company survived early financial problems, the death of a founder, devastation by fire, and the Great Depression, but later declined and closed its doors in 1937. The story is set against the backdrop of rural New Hampshire towns which provided the natural and human resources necessary for the company to thrive. These communities and the employees became a part of the D&M family and benefitted greatly from the civic mindedness of Draper and Maynard. The book concludes with the legacy of Draper and Maynard that lives on today-shared memories of local folk; a building and ball field still in use; the success of a hundred-year-old company in Japan; a proud local history still celebrated; and in avid collectors across the country.