Date Range

1923-1997

Description Level

Fonds

Creator

Leo Singer

Physical Description

0.30 m of textual records, 5 scrapbooks, 12 photographs

History Biographical

Leo Singer is was a local businessman and the founder of Leo Singer Men's Wear. Singer has been clothing sharp-dressed men and boys since he opened the shop on 2nd Ave South in the 1930s. The business relocated to 214 5 St South in 1940 and was one of the first in the city to spot a flashing neon sign. Singer was born and raised in Calgary. As a teen, he spent his after-school hours working for a clothier and later enrolled in business school. He had the distinction of being the sole distributor for Scouts Canada in southern Alberta, outfitting more than 50,000 scouts over the years. He additionally supplied the City's police and fire departments with uniforms for over three decades. Singer's motto and trademark were "it's not the sale that counts - it's the customer." He served in World War 2. Leo Singer actively participated in community life. He was member of Hebrew congregation, Green Acres Kiwanis Club, Royal Canadian Legion, Army Navy Air Force Club, Henderson Lake Golf Club, Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, United Way and Lethbridge Jaycees. He was also a senator for the University of Lethbridge and member of the Lethbridge Community College Foundation. Leo Singer was an active member of the Liberal Party.

Scope and Content

2006 .1080/001 Three books from Leo and Phyllis Singer’s library including the The Garnett Story 1831-1962: The History of Yorkshire Worsted and Woolen Business through Four Generation by E. P. Dobson and published by William Sessions Limited, York in 1962 (gift card enclosed), and Prairie Patchwork edited by Marie Sorgard and published by Southern Alberta Writers’ Workshop, and Memories: New Dayton and District 1900-1978 published by New Dayton Book Committee in 1978 [1962-1980] 2006 .1080/002 Lethbridge Herald Photo of 1972-1973 Chamber of Commerce Executives. 2 photographs 1972-1973 2006 .1080/003 Certificate of qualification of Leo Singer for the Royal Arch Masons of Alberta 9 March 1955 2006 .1080/004 Certificate from the University of Lethbridge to Leo Singer for the University Club Membership [1994] 2006 .1080/005 Certificate honouring Leo Singer’s term as president of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce from 1972-1973 2006 .1080/006 Certificate honouring Leo Singer for forty years of membership from the Green Acres Kiwanis Club of Lethbridge [1997] 2006 .1080/007 Certificate from Lethbridge B’nai B’rith Lodge, Award of one 1957 Chevrolet [1956] 2006 .1080/008 Eighth Canadian Legion Band Festival program of Lethbridge, Alberta on 25 May 1963, Israeli Fashions program presented by Lethbridge Hadassah on 5 June 1963, North Star Lodge No. 4 booklet commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Lodge on 20 April 1963, excerpt from “The Pattern” on December 1964 publication, certificates to Leo Singer for membership of the Kiwanis Club [1963-1997] 2006 .1080/009 Photograph of “Executive, Lethbridge Hebrew Congregation 1955 June 12th,” portrait of Leo Singer by A.E. Cross & Son, photograph of the members of the Kiwanis Club of Lethbridge, photograph of the Boy Scout display in the window of Leo Singer Men’s and Boy’s Wear Limited. 4 photographs [1955-1963] 2006 .1080/010 Various examples of stationary from Leo Singer Men’s and Boy’s Wear Limited including: an envelope and letter with the company’s logo, sheet from a company memo pad, sheet of three-part memo forms with interleaved carbon paper, a receipt, a paper bag for customer purchases, and nine addressed ‘reminder cards’ mailed out by the company to customers who had not recently visited the store [1967] 2006 .1080/011 Certificate recognizing Leo Singer Men’s and Boy’s Wear Limited as a dealer of Whitehall Clothes [1923] 2006 .1080/012 From Leo Singer Men’s and Boy’s Wear Limited: script for a radio advertisement for the store aired by CJOC Radio on 12 January 1979, a label of “Leo Singer The Finest Name in Men’s Shoes,” sheet 7 from an order pad for supplies from Boy Scouts of Canada, sheet from order pad for made-to-measure suits printed by Avon Park Fashions Incorporated and stamped with Leo Singer Men’s and Boy’s Wear Limited [1979] 2006 .1080/013 Employee payroll ledger May 1975 to August 1979 2006 .1080/014 Lethbridge Herald newspaper advertisements for the store, many with the invoices still attached, 1971 Christmas card list [1971-1979] 2006 .1080/015 File of miscellaneous business records [1969] 2006 .1080/016 Seven clothing labels from Leo Singer Men’s and Boy’s Wear Limited, booklet of “The Know-How of Successful Selling” published by Jack Victor & Sons Limited, Lethbridge Herald article about the Bar Mitzvah of David Sirken from 6 January 1955 [1953-1987] 2006 .1080/017 Various stationary from Leo Singer Men’s and Boy’s Wear Limited including: match book, a window envelope, a letterhead, Leo Singer’s business card, blank cheque to Leo Singer Men’s and Boy’s Wear Limited, a garment guarantee, postcard advertising Progress brand clothing with Leo Singer Men’s and Boy’s Wear Limited company logo, ink blotter advertising the store, business accounts ledger from 1940-42 and two newspaper pages from the Lethbridge Herald including articles on Leo Singer as Buyer of the Year at the Men’s Wear Traveller’s Association of Canada in 1957 and Leo Singer appointed as Lieutenant Governor of District 8 of the Kiwanis Club International in 1962 [1940-1962] 2006 .1080/018 Black and white photographs of Leo Singer Men’s Boy’s Wear Limited store window, interior of the store, exterior of the store, and black and white photographs of customers, Leo Singer and unknown employees inside the store. 6 photographs [1940-1942] 2006 .1080/019 Member certificate of Leo Singer in North Star Lodge No. 4 of Free Masons [1954] 2006 .1080/020 Leo Singer Men’s and Boy’s Wear Limited Business Accounts Ledger from 1951-1969 2006 .1080/021 Five scrapbooks of the Lethbridge Herald, Sunny South News, and the Raymond Recorder newspaper advertisements from 1941-1979 2006.1080/022 Biographical information on Leo Singer including a eulogy by Robert Wilson, photocopied news photograph of Leo Singer as President from 1972-1973 and three fellow Lethbridge businessmen who form the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Bound article “Leo Singer: four generations and still going strong” from July 1995, and two undated obituaries [1972-1997]

Accession No.

20061080

Collection

Archive

Less detail