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(above) Side A: Don't Let Me Down, Old Pal
Montana Slim 78rpm record Montgomery Ward M-7263
(below) Side B: Won't You Be The Same Old Pal

Library stock number A102

Montgomery Ward

Montgomery Ward was a large retail company in the United States that sold thousands of items through its famous mail-order catalog. In the 1930s MW offered their own 78rpm records as part of their general catalog. MW did not manufacture the records it sold – they were recorded and pressed by Victor from Victor masters, assuring a high-quality product. The catalog numbers for MW records consist of the letter M followed by a four-digit number. These Montgomery Ward records are now quite rare.

In the 1960s, Wards began a long slow decline. The mail-order catalog was ended in 1985. In July 1997, Montgomery-Wards Holding Corporation and its subsidiaries declared bankruptcy. Wards emerged from bankruptcy court protection in August 1999 as a wholly owned subsidiary of General Electric Co. During that time, Wards closed about 100 locations and spent millions of dollars to renovate its remaining stores. In December 2000, a second bankruptcy triggered the closure of all 250 stores across the United States.

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