The Frances Bemis Papers consist of 7 linear ft. of material from her professional career and date from 1933 to 1974. Photographs make up the largest portion of the collection, but the Papers also include biographical information, correspondence, publicity, scripts, clippings, programs, and scrapbooks.

The Papers detail Bemis's busy career over decades during which professional women were often a marginal part of the work-world. The documentary evidence of Bemis's innovative transformation of the staid department store exhibition into a headline-grabbing cavalcade indicates the often-overlooked influence of professional women in the mid-twentieth century. The Papers also illustrate the world of fashion in 1930s-50s New York City and give a window into the celebrity and consumer culture of this time.

This collection is organized into five series:

• I. Biographical Materials
• II. Correspondence
• III. Writings
• IV. Professional Activities
• V. Subject Files