first edition Pamphlet
1941 · Kansas City, MO
by Ryan, Jack, director of crested valuables; Beta Sigma Phi, sorority
Kansas City, MO: the sorority, 1941. Pamphlet. Unpaginated, about 20p., multiple b&w illustrations on each page, most shrunk to fit the small pamphlet format: 6x4.5 inch stapled blue wraps embossed with indecipherable lettering and device. Staples are rusted with a little migration, front cover has a light vertical crease, otherwise clean and sound. Laid in, International Membership card, unsigned, for one Jessie Cotton of McCook Nebr., expires 7-30-41. Per Wikipedia, BSP is a "non-academic sorority" founded 1931 in Kansas, has 200,000 members. Headquarters city presumed from info on the member's card, ditto surmised date of publication; no such info in the catalogue itself. Lockets, broaches, rings, on and on, the variety extends even to baby spoons. A plethora of compact-types leads readily to cigarette cases including a wooden one that holds two standard packs. "For some time the privilege of supplying you with crested valuables has been entrusted to a large jewelry firm on a contract basis. Now B S P has taken over this responsibility itself and has retained Mr Jack Ryan to head the department (Inventory #: 227214)