In partnership with the Maine Memory Network Maine Memory Network

Welcome to L.L. Bean Corporate Archives

In 1911, an avid outdoorsman named Leon Leonwood ("L.L.") Bean returned from a hunting trip with cold, damp feet and a revolutionary idea. L.L. enlisted a local cobbler to stitch leather uppers to workmen's rubber boots, creating a comfortable, functional boot for exploring the Maine woods. This innovative boot – the Maine Hunting Shoe® – changed outdoor footwear forever and began one of the most successful family-run businesses in the country.

The L.L. Bean Corporate Archives preserves the history of the company with objects, artwork, and other items, a number of which have come from customers.

Selected L.L. Bean Corporate Archives images: