Preserving the Written Word

Preserving the Written Word The recent death of historian John Y. Simon marks the passing of one of the nation\u27s finest documentary editors and gives us a chance to reflect not only on the work of a remarkable historian, but also on what that work means to scholars of the Civil War era

Direction and discretion: the roles of centre and branch in the interwar management of Marks and Spencer

The successful expansion of multiple retailing in interwar Britain is often seen to rest, in part, on the inculcation of efficient and uniform working practices throughout a company’s branch network. Major multiple retailers often placed considerable stress on codifying the standards expected of store managers and their staff; on creating systems of branch supervision and inspection by staff directly responsible to head office; and on the submission of frequent and detailed returns outlining the operational and financial performance of individual stores. In practice, however, this did not always lead to the degree of operational centralisation and uniformity which is sometimes assumed. Evidence from the Marks and Spencer Archive reveals not only the limitations of local compliance with officially sanctioned policies and processes, but also an expectation that managers would exercise positive discretion in implementing standards in a locally appropriate fashion. The paper thus sheds new light on the role of the multiple store manager – hitherto a somewhat neglected figure – in the retail evolution of the interwar years

Daniel Prenn–From Germany’s First Man in the Top Ten to ‘“No Nationality” Man’?

This biographical study thematizes the life of Daniel Prenn, Germany’s first male tennis player in the world’s top ten ranking. Emigrating from St. Petersburg to Berlin as an adolescent, he soon developed a great talent in tennis, became Germany’s number one player and represented the country in the Davis Cup before in 1933–at the height of his success–he became a famous victim of the sport segregation by the National Socialists due to his Jewish background. Subsequently, Daniel migrated to the United Kingdom and was able to continue his tennis career. This article explores his story and contextualizes it before the historical background, as his life is connected to numerous contemporary developments of the time such as antisemitism, emigration, naturalization and more. Further, the study provides insights into the role of sports regarding processes of integration and identification. It looks at the trajectory of an early sports migrant, his motivations, experiences, obstacles and successes. So far, Daniel Prenn’s story has been absent from (sports) history, and his life has not yet been studied in detail nor remembered comprehensively. This biographical account is a first attempt at changing this.</p

Retailing under resale price maintenance: economies of scale and scope, and firm strategic response, in the inter-war British retail pharmacy sector

The article examines the impact of resale price maintenance (RPM) on market structure, productivity, and competitive advantage in British retail pharmacy. In contrast to influential studies, but consistent with contemporary and recent work, it is shown that the major multiples were able to ameliorate the negative growth impacts of RPM. Higher profit margins ‒ principally from larger manufacturer discounts and backward integration – were used to fund initiatives aimed at boosting aggregate sales and economies of scale and scope. These relationships are explored using a recently discovered national establishment-level survey of retail pharmacists’ costs and margins, together with internal data for Boots Ltd

Laudatio für Frau Dr. Anna Levinson und Herrn Professor Dr. Hermann Levinson : anlässlich der Verleihung der Karl-Escherich-Medaille der Deutschen Gesellschaft für allgemeine und angewandte Entomologie am 26. Februar 2007 in Innsbruck

Die 31. Karl-Medaille wurde vor 2 Jahren Herrn Professor Francke, Hamburg verliehen; es ist vielleicht kein Zufall, dass wir heute das Ehepaar Levinson ehren dürfen. verbindet sie doch eine langjährige und vor allen Dingen sehr erfolgreiche Zusammenarbeit. Hierzu ein Beispiel: Das Weibchen des Tabakkäfers Lasioderma serricorne produziert das Sexualpheromon Serricornin. Gemeinsam mit Herrn Francke ist Ihnen die Aufklärung der seltenen Speicherform eines Pheromons, und zwar des Anhydroserricornins, gelungen. Sie haben die Pheromondrüse beschrieben und die biologische Aktivität der Enantiomeren ermittelt. Basierend auf diesen Erkenntnissen entwickelten Sie gemeinsam mit British American Tobacco eine Lockstoff-Falle, die von Ihnen unter Praxisbedingungen in Tabaklagern in Deutschland, Griechenland, Zypern und Ägypten getestet wurde. Ergebnis ist das Produkt Lasiotrap, das kommerziell zu Monitoring und Massenfang des Tabakkäfers eingesetzt wird. Mit diesem Beispiel möchte ich einen wesentlichen Ansatz Ihres wissenschaftlichen Denkens und Forschens beschreiben. ..