Community Involvement

Summary: The Photographs subgroup consists of images documenting Affiliates, Awards, Community Involvement, Events and Store Openings, Marketing Promotions, Meetings, People, Recreation, and Store Displays. The Affiliate files hold photos related to Kings Meats, Inc., including images of Meat Departments at Macy's (1941), operated by Max Perlmutter and Son, and at L. Bamberger & Co. (ca. 1951). The Awards files hold images of Joseph Bildner receiving a plaque for Kings promotion of national brands from the Brand Names Foundation (1950). Refer to People—Family files for awards presented to Allen Bildner, including images of him accepting the New Jersey Pride Award (1988), the Food Marketing Institute's Rabb Award (1992) and a Citation Award from St. Joseph's College's Academy of Food Marketing (1977).

The Community Involvement files include images of a Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, which Kings helped to promote (1950s), the Kings sponsored Livingston Little League team (1967, 1969), and a sales cart for "People Serving People" at the Kings store in Voorhees (ca. 1990). Among the Marketing—Promotions files are images of a Kings co-op sales promotion with Life Magazine (ca. 1949), a "Meet Mr. Joe" ad that was part of a display for the Newark Evening News (about 1950), and a Parents' Magazine Sales Promotion (ca. 1958). In addition, there are photographs of store aisles and displays for special events at Packards, such as "Decemberfest" (1971, 1972), "April in Paris" (1983), and "Aloha Hawaii" (1983).

The Events files consist of two boxes of images of Annual Service Club Dinner Dances, and celebrations of Kings 25th, 26th and 30th anniversaries. Some other special events for which there are photographs are an ADL Awards Dinner (ca. 1975), a St. Joseph's College Academy of Food Marketing Dinner honoring Allen Bildner (1977), and a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening of Kings' Home Office and Distribution Center in West Caldwell (1981). Kings Super Market grand openings and grand re-openings are documented in three boxes of photographs spanning from 1951 to 1988, including Upper Montclair (1951), East Orange (1952), Orange (1958), Maplewood (re-opening, 1961), Paramus (1963), East Orange (re-opening, 1964), Livingston (1966), Millburn (1967), Montclair (re-opening, 1970), Morristown (1974), Chatham (1975), Cresskill (1976), Ridgewood (1977), Verona—Cedar Grove (1978), Shorthills (1980), Garwood (ca. 1982), and Bedminster (1988). The photographs depict ribbon-cutting ceremonies, store aisles and displays, check-out lines, food storage areas, buffet tables and entertainment, as well as the Bildner Family, celebrities, employees and customers.

The People files consist of images of employees, the Bildner Family, and others, such as Stew Leonard, a store-owner in Norwalk, CT, who was visited by Allen and Joan Bildner (ca. 1978) and Herb Zane, a friend and leader of the Herb Zane Dance Band, who provided the entertainment at many Kings events. The Employees files show Kings personnel at their jobs, meetings or at special events (1949-1986).

Included in the Bildner Family photographs are images of Morris Bildner standing in front of the Bildner Brothers Grocery Store in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn (1917), and Joseph and Beatrice Bildner and staff in the doorway of the Big Ben Grocery Store in Rockville Center, NY (ca. 1933)

Later photographs include images of Allen Bildner at Dartmouth (1944/45-1947), at his bachelor dinner (1949), the McCall's "Family of the Year" portrait of the Bildner Family (1960), and Allen Bildner at Kings events and, often with his wife, posing with friends at conventions or with politicians (Dan Quayle and George Bush). Also included in Allen Bildner's photos are images of him at various professional conferences and conventions, including the Super Market Institute, the New Jersey Food Council, and the Food Marketing Institute (1962-1989). In many of the images he is pictured with his wife Joan or with colleagues. The three Recreation files show Allen and Joan Bildner at various golf outings and tournaments (1970-1984).

There are also photographs of displays in various Kings Stores, among them images of the Ivy Hill and Upper Montclair stores with "As Advertised in Life" notices in the front windows (ca. 1948, 1951), a "National Apple Week" display (ca. 1956), a King Korn Stamp display at Maplewood (ca. 1956), Beatrice Bildner demonstrating the self-service BBQ chickens at the Millburn store (1968), and a joint merchandising venture with Bloomingdale's at the Short Hill Mall (1982).

There is one box of Transparencies with images arranged in the following series, Advisors (a consumer panel, 1987), Community Involvement (such as Bedminster Spirit, ca. 1988, and Halloween at Kings Verona, 1989), Events (including a visit by Senator Lautenberg, 1988) and a Grand Opening (Verona, 1987), Marketing Promotions (such as Sam Breakstone's visit to Kings Short Hills, 1988, and "Wisconsin Cheese Month" at the Kings store in Bedminster, 1989), Meetings (a European Management Conference in 1987), People—Employees (two folders, 1986-1989), and Training (Kings Way, 1984, and Cooking School, 1988). The most extensive series is the eight folders of Stores and Store Visits (1978-1987). These include images of the Heartland Warehouse (1978), Cub Foods (1984), Loblaws in Canada (1987), Byerly's in Minneapolis, MN (1987), and Allen and Joan Bildner's visit to Marks & Spencer (1987).

The Video collection spans from 1983-1997 and includes footage of events such as Sid Feinstein's Roast (1983), and Service Awards Dinners (1984-1988), as well as coverage of the sale of Kings to Marks & Spencer (1988). There is also footage of several Jersey Fresh promotions (1984, 1985, 1987), community Halloween celebrations at Kings in Chatham and Short Hills (1986), and interviews with Mrs. Bildner (Beatrice? 1985) and Allen Bildner (1987).