By Dwayne Ibsen and Louella Torrance
The following is taken from the short history of the NCA by C. Arthur Landes, past president of the NCA and owner of Landes Costumes, Indianapolis, IN.
A hearty welcome by the Mayor of the city was extended to the NCA when they held their convention in Cleveland, Ohio in 1937. Visits were made to the World Exposition and the administration of the event declared a special Costumers Day. C. Arthur Landes was installed as president during the Convention.
A fight was declared against the Works Progress Administration or WPA. Workers for this group were manufacturing hundreds of costumes for use in Federal sponsored theater. Following the shows, these costumes were then rented out, thus hurting the independent costumers and depriving them of business.
In 1939 President Landes informed the membership that the WPA was no longer manufacturing costumes but members wanted all costumes in the Federal Theatre Project destroyed. There is no record of the outcome of this demand.
An interesting decade for the organization. Next we will learn about the quest to change Santa's pants to blue. Stay tuned!