The Baltimore Silver Trade

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KANN & SONS - KANN & SONS Mfg. Co. - KANN BROS. SILVER Co.

114, North Howard Street, later, 303, West Lexington Street, and 525, North Eutaw Street, Baltimore



Kann Bros. Silver Co. - Baltimore - 1909

Established in 1870.


The firm of Kann & Sons Manufacturing Company, established over a quarter of a century, have changed style of firm as above. They have been for the past 14 years at 114 North Howard street, and recently purchased building 303 West Lexington street, and equipped same with improved machinery for the manufacturing of silver-plated ware and lately have added a full line of jewelery, watches and diamonds, and they make a specialty of replating and repairing.

Source: The Jewelers Review - 10th May 1899


The plant and retail store of the Kann Bros. Silver Co., conducted for many years at 523 N. Eutaw St., was sold last week to Harry Gammerman, who will conduct the store in person, and sell the plant. He will retain his E. Baltimore St. store. The Messrs. Kann will retire from business.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 29th January 1913


J. C. & G. K. Bechtel will continue the business of the Kann Silver Co., at 525 N. Eutaw St., under the name of the Bechtel Silver Co.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 12th March 1913


Harry Gamarman, of 606 East Baltimore street, bought the Kann Bros. Silver Company, and some of the machinery was purchased by silversmiths here.

Source: The Metal Industry - April 1914


Examples of plated ware by Kann & Sons Mfg Co.:






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JOHN P. LASSALLE

Baltimore


John P. Lassalle, for about 30 years in the employ of the Samuel Kirk & Son Co., died, last week, of pneumonia, at his home, 1347 W. Lanvale St., aged 80 years. The deceased was the designer of a silver statue which received favorable comment at the World’s Fair in St. Louis. Mr. Lassalle was a native of France, but had lived in this country for many years.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 8th February 1905

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H. BEALMEAR & Co.

25 South Charles Street, and, 26, West Baltimore Street, Baltimore


A popular young jewelry drummer has passed away in the person of Alvin C. Hood, who died recently of pneumonia, Mr. Hood was a traveling salesman for H. Bealmear, wholesale dealer in clocks, bronzes and supplies, at 25 South Charles Street, Baltimore, Md., in whose employ he had been for several years and by whom he was highly esteemed. Mr. Hood was well and favorably known among the jewelers in Maryland, Pennsylvania and District of Columbia.

Source: The Keystone - February 1898


The old firm of H. Bealmear & Co., formerly located at 26 W. Baltimore St., has been dissolved and the obligations have been assumed by Mr. Bealmear. The stock was disposed of at auction.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 20th May 1908

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ZACHARIAH RIST

North Gay Street, later, 816, North Eden Street, Baltimore


Zachariah Rist, 65 years old, who, for several years, kept a watch repairing shop at 816 N. Eden St., Baltimore, Aid., died suddenly, recently. He was a native of Germany, but had resided for a long time in Baltimore. For a number of years he kept a jewelry store on N. Gay St.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 26th June 1901

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FLORENCE SILVER PLATE Co.

530, North Gay Street, Baltimore


A site has been purchased at Lombard and Sutton Sts., Baltimore, Md., by the Florence Silver Plate Co. of that city, now located at 530 North Gay St. A new factory for the manufacture of silver plated goods will be built.

Source: The Brass World and Platers' Guide - October 1909

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PHILIP GERMERHAUSEN

1054, William Street, Baltimore


Thieves entered the jewelry store of Philip Germerhausen, 1054 William St., Friday night and escaped with jewelry valued at $900. The burglars entered the store by forcing open a shutter and "jimmying" a window. The loot included rings, watches and lockets. Members of the jeweler's family discovered the theft the next morning and the police were notified. The police found several empty jewelry cases bearing Mr. Germerhausen's name some distance from the store.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 6th August 1919

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F.W. LANGE

20, North Gay Street, Baltimore



F.W. Lange - Baltimore - 1874

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STOWELL'S

163, Baltimore Street, Baltimore



Stowell's - Baltimore - 1858

The business of A. Stowell jnr. Formerly with the firm of Gould, Stowell & Ward (James Gould, A. Stowell jnr., and H. Ward).

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ALMA Mfg. Co.

South Fulton Avenue and Light Street, Baltimore


The Alma Mfg. Co., in Light St., Baltimore, Md., manufacturers of buckles, are to erect two additions to their plant on South Fulton Ave. Electroplating and metal finishing are carried on.

Source: The Brass World and Platers' Guide - April 1912

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WILLIAM PRESTON STUNZ

Baltimore


William P. Stunz Killed Himself in His Workshop

Baltimore, Md., Dec 8.—William Preston Stunz, a jewelry engraver, committed suicide some time Monday night. He shot himself in the right temple with a revolver. The discovery was made by Fernando Volkmar, of G. T. Sadtler & Sons, opticians, over whose store Stunz had his workshop.

The cause of the suicide is said to have been melancholia, superinduced by bad health and reverses in business. Stunz lived with his wife and five children at 1219 Mosher St. He was 52 years of age, a native of Baltimore, and had been in business about 32 years. He occupied a room with Carl A. Boucsein, a jeweler, who left him early Monday evening. He had plenty of work, but seemed depressed for days.

Mr. Stunz was a good-looking man, and had an extended reputation as an engraver. The members of the firm of Sadtler & Sons, for whom he worked a number of years, gave him an excellent reputation. John F. Stunz, jeweler, of 430 N. Gay St., is a brother of deceased, and said he could not account for the suicide, unless it was caused by bad health and melancholia.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 13th December 1893

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MAURICE L. REEDER

40, West Lexington Street, later, 221, North Charles Street, Baltimore



Maurice L. Reeder - Baltimore - 1909


Maurice L. Reeder Co. - Baltimore - 1909

Maurice L. Reeder - Leo S. Gammie

Leo Gammie was formerly with Samuel Kirk & Co. He became associated with Maurice Reeder in 1908.

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HAMILTON PLATING WORKS

4, West Barre Street, Baltimore


William F. Focke, who used to run the Monumental Plating Works and later was manager of the Hamilton Plating Works, which firm went out of business at 4 West Barre street, is now with the Catlin Company, platers, of Washington.

Source: The Metal Industry - December 1913

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C.H. PEPAR

1206, West Baltimore Street, Baltimore


Demise of an Aged Baltimore Jeweler

Baltimore. Md., Aug. 2.—C. H. Pepar, the aged jeweler at 1206 W. Baltimore St., who died on Sunday evening, was buried Tuesday morning in Greenmount Cemetery.

Deceased had been in the jewelry business in West Baltimore for nearly half a century. At his death he was past 80 years of age.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 7th August 1895

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MITCHELL & NORWIG

318, North Howard Street, Baltimore



Mitchell & Norwig - Baltimore - 1922


THINK MYSTERY SOLVED

Baltimore Police Say They Have Solution of Jewelry Store Robbery in Arrest of Two Men and a Woman

Baltimore, Md., Feb. 5.—Mystery surrounding the smashing of the plate-glass window of Mitchell & Norwig, 318 N. Howard St, at 2 A. M. Jan. 1, has been cleared, according to police and detectives here, when Carl C. Wilder, 25 years old, of Chicago, his wife Helen Wilder, and William Braid of London, Eng., were charged with the crime. Jewelry valued at $1,000 was stolen from the Mitchell & Norwig window.

Wilder, his wife and Braid are now in jail, held in default of $12,000 bail with six charges of burglary against them. Braid is alleged to have confessed that "he was in with a gang that had planned to rob the window of M. Koenigsberg the day that he was caught" Wilder and his wife were caught two days after Braid was captured. The firm of Mitchell & Norwig carried insurance and also the service of the Jewelers Security Alliance.

The Mitchell & Norwig case against the trio was developed by Headquarters Detectives G. W. Armstrong, Charles Barranger and Sergt. Edward Stempel. Stempel is the man who engineered the arrests of Wilder and his wife. For four days he kept a place under surveillance and when Wilder and his wife visited the place the arrests were nude. The case proved one of many ramifications. Scores of pieces of jewelry, furs and other valuables were found in a room occupied by Wilder and his wife.

It was only through the most difficult work that the police managed to effect identification. Among the booty found in the room occupied by Wilder and his wife were three pieces of jewelry — a diamond ring, a black onyx ring with diamond center and a tourmaline ring. Wilder and his wife tried every form at baffling the police. They fought against having their pictures taken in the Bertillon Bureau and they told several tales in their effort to explain their possession of the jewelry.

Howard O. Jenkins, manager of Mitchell & Norwig, was summoned to Central Police Station and he positively identified the tourmaline ring and the onyx ring. When shown the diamond ring he hesitated because it had been remounted in a white gold, filigree setting. Mr. Jenkins told the police that he would be able to identify the stone because of two carbon spots which could only he detected with a glass. The glass was produced and the carbon spots were found on the area of the stone as indicated by Mr. Jenkins.

Mr. Jenkins went to jail to talk to Wilder and, according to the jeweler, Wilder offered to sign the jewelry over to him if he would drop the case. No such step was taken by Mr. Jenkins. The recovered jewelry, however, was placed in Mr. Jenkins name by the police. Wilder was interviewed several times in prison but he assumed a defiant air and refused to tell the police or detectives anything concerning himself. A special case of the Mitchell & Norwig robbery was made out by the police and sent before the grand jury. Jewelry valued at $5,000 was identified by its owners. According to the police Wilder, Braid and the woman operated in apartment houses, against fur stores and jewelry stores.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 9th February 1921

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MORRIS KOENIGSBERG

503, North Eutaw Street, later, 30, East Baltimore Street, Baltimore



M. Koenigsberg - Baltimore - 1908

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L.G. BALFOUR Co.

208, West Saratoga Street, Baltimore



L.G. Balfour Co. - Baltimore - 1951

See: http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... ur#p138379

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J.S. MACDONALD & Co.

4, later, 214, North Charles Street, Baltimore



J.S. MacDonald & Co. - Baltimore - 1901



J.S. MacDonald & Co. - Baltimore - 1912


J. S. Macdonald, Manufacturer and Dealer in Fine Jewelry,Watches, Silverware, etc., No. 4 North Charles Street.—The house of J. S. Macdonald has for four years stood as one of the leading representatives in this line of Baltimore’s commercial pursuits. In all the finer qualities of manufactured goods nothing that can please the public taste's wanting, and for the display and sale of his fine stock he has the best of accommodations. In the line of manufacturing and repairing fine work this house is one of the best in the city. Mr. Macdonald manufactures and repairs watches with the greatest accuracy and precision, and carries in stock the finest grades of watches known to the trade; he also carries in stock a large line of solid silver and plated ware, such as spoons, tea sets, pitchers, casters, etc. He occupie's three floors of the building No. 4 North Charles street, the two upper floors being used for manufacturing purposes, where eight skilled artists in this branch are kept busily employed. The trade of the house is in this city and county, and extending through some of the Southern States. Mr. Macdonald, the proprietor, is a pleasant, affable gentleman, and will take pleasure in showing his visitors his extensive stock of elaborately finished goods.

Source: Industries of Maryland - A Descriptive Review of the Manufacturing and Mercantile Industries of the City of Baltimore - 1882


Alleged Diamond Thief Committed

Baltimore, Md., Jan. 30.—John Smith, arrested in Washington, D, C., Jan. 25, was given a hearing at the Central Police Station, Saturday, on the charge of stealing a diamond cluster pin from J. Stuart MacDonald, jeweler, northeast corner of Baltimore and N. Charles Sts. He was committed
for Court. Smith was captured on Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, in company with a young woman, who gave her name as Mabel Harris, and said her home was in Philadelphia. When discovered by the detective Smith had about $500 worth of jewelry, among which were a heavy gold chain, two diamond studs, a scarf pin and two watch charms, one studded with diamonds.

Smith, the detectives believe, is an expert “pennyweight thief,” and their theory is sustained by the experience of Mr. MacDonald. The woman said she met Smith for the first time Friday. He represented himself to her as a traveling agent for Tiffany & Co. No charge has been preferred against Miss Harris, but she is held at the Central Police Station to await further developments.

A pawn ticket of a Philadelphia loan office was found on Smith, showing that he had pawned a diamond pin, a stud and a locket in that city.

Smith also visited the establishment of A. Wallenhorst, jeweler, 17 S. Gay St., and looked at some rings.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 6th February 1901


An Incident of the Baltimore Fire

Interesting incidents in connection with the big Baltimore fire are constantly being brought to light. One of the latest is related by the J. S. MacDonald Co., jewelers, 214 North Charles Street, Baltimore, in the following letter written recently to the Carter's Ink Co., of Boston:

“Gentlemen:- We have always believed that your Writing Fluid was a strictly permanent ink, and for that reason have used it on our books. We never realized, however, how strong a claim could be made for your fluid until after the conflagration of 1904. At this time we were burned out and our books lay in the water for five days; but when we recovered them, the appearance of the writing had undergone no change of importance. Of course, the aniline coloring matter had disappeared, but the ingredients which make the ink permanent were not affected in the least. For all practical purposes, our records are as good as ever. “We think you will be interested in this practical demonstration of the reliability of your writing fluid.”

Source: Geyer's Stationer - 7th March 1907


Gen. J. Stuart MacDonald, president of the J. S. MacDonald Co., N. Charles St. is recuperating from a slight illness which caused him to spend some time at a hospital. General MacDonald has been engaged in the jewelry business for nearly 35 years.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 3rd May 1922


Julius Bunnecke has been elected president of the J. S. MacDonald Jewelry Co., 212 N. Charles St., succeeding his brother, the late George Bunnecke, Jr., who died two weeks ago. Frank M. Rupp, for many years connected with the firm, will continue as secretary-treasurer.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 16th February 1927

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HENRY VOIGT

217, North Eutaw Street, Baltimore



Henry A. Voigt - Baltimore - 1891


Henry Voigt - Baltimore - 1900

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SAMUEL SEFF

East Baltimore Street, Baltimore


Samuel Seff, a jeweler, on East Baltimore street, opposite Albemarle, has complained to the police that Adam Glass, of 283 Rogers avenue, has defrauded him out of a pair of diamond earrings valued at $115.

Source: The Jewelers' Review - 15th December 1897


Samuel Seff, Baltimore, Md., Must Pay $68 Damages To Customer

Baltimore, Md., Feb. 2.—William H. Weissager, a lawyer, obtained a verdict for $68 in Part II. of the City Court, last Tuesday, in his suit for damages against Samuel Seff, a jeweler of this city.

The suit was based on the change in color of a diamond purchased by Weissager. The plaintiff testified that the diamond was bluewhite when he bought it, but that it soon turned to a yellow color, notwithstanding Mr. Seff’s guarantee. In his behalf he had several witnesses testify that there is a certain
preparation which will cause yellow diamonds to appear white, but that the original color will return when the preparation wears off.

The plaintiff said that he paid Mr. Seff $250 last Summer for a diamond stud, but later the jeweler took it back. Then, he says, he paid $68 for the stud in question, and when the jeweler refused to take it back he began suit.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 4th February 1903

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OSCAR CAPLAN - OSCAR CAPLAN & SONS

710, later, 620, East Baltimore Street, later, 207, West Saratoga Street, later, 231, North Howard Street, Baltimore


Oscar Caplan moved his manufacturing jewelry shop to 710 East Baltimore street. He is also working in platinum.

Source: The Metal Industry - April 1914


Nathan Hankin, formerly with Oscar Caplan, opened a jewelry repair shop of his own at 924 East Lexington street.

Source: The Metal Industry - April 1914


Oscar Caplan, 620 E. Baltimore St., was the victim last week of a pennyweighter who got away with a diamond ring valued at $200. A well-dressed young man walked into his store shortly after noon and asked to be shown some rings. He made close inspection of the rings, and it was not until after he had left that the ring was missing. The police department was notified immediately and it was only an hour later that a man answering his description was picked up in Baltimore St. by Detectives O'Donnell and Pohler. He was taken to the Central police station and later committed for the action of the Grand Jury by Justice Packard.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 30th August 1916


Oscar Caplan, formerly located in the 600 block of E. Baltimore St., has again reentered the jewelry business and is now located at 207 W. Saratoga St.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 15th November 1928


Oscar Caplan & Sons moved late in August from 207 W. Saratoga St., Baltimore, to their new location at 231 N. Howard St., and held their grand opening on September 9. Many were on hand for the opening festivities and miniature orchids were presented to the ladies who attended. The new location provides more display space, larger windows and much needed room for the firm’s manufacturing and special order departments.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone - October 1954

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