E Cashman
E. Cashman Costume Co., etc., 35 W. 36th St. (2006)

The "E" in E. Cashman Costume Co. was Esther Cashman (ca.1863-1945). The business was a collaboration between Esther, her husband Jacob Cashman (ca.1861-1932), and her son Charles Cashman (1893-1963). The Cashmans were immigrants from Russia in the 1870s. The "costumes" seem to have consisted mostly of women's dresses. They started out around 1910 on W. 14th St., moved to 141 W. 28th St. in 1913, then to 35 W. 36th in 1916. They left this location around 1918-19. The business was re-named E. Cashman & Son around 1922, then closed in 1930. Charles Cashman registered for the World War II draft in 1942 while employed at Solar Sportswear Co., 135 W. 36th St.

Along with Cashman on this wall is a long stack of dimly lit signs in a narrow space. Most date from the 1910s (the building was erected in 1910, a 12-story brick & stone office bldg.), with date spans as follows:

(1911-1912) L. M. Buehler & Co. / ? Stone (click for image). The sign probably says something about architectural stone. Leon M. Buehler (1871/72-?) and Charles Lauter (1862/63-?), immigrants from Germany in the 1890s, were sculptors specializing in architectural stone work. They were partners from around 1902 to 1910. Then Buehler moved to 35 W. 36th St. as L. M. Buehler & Co., Architectural Sculptors. Around 1915 Buehler moved the business east on 37th St. After 1916 there are no additional entries for Buehler in New York City. Richmond's Mount Vernon Directory (Buehler made his home in Mount Vernon, Westchester County) in 1919 indicates that he had an office on N. High Street in that city. This advertisement for L. M. Buehler & Co. appeared in Architectural Record, vol. 31, 1912.

(1912-1915) George E. Green / Fine Wallpapers (click for image). George Ernest Green (1870-?) was an importer of wall paper and fabrics. Born in Southampton, England, Green started his business in New York in 1908 at 21 East 17th St. He appears in the US Census of 1920, age 50, living in New Rochelle, NY, with his wife, 3 daughters and mother-in-law. The daughters, ages 19 through 11, are listed as born in Canada. Apparently Green lived in Canada before moving to the U.S. Green's imported wall paper business relocated to W. 29th St. in 1916, then closed for business around 1922. As an importer Green traveled frequently to Europe, and his name appears on numerous ship manifests, usually sailing out of Southampton, England. Those from around 1905-07 give his address as 28 Wellington St. West, Toronto, Canada. Those from the late 1920s give an English address. He always gives his nationality as British and seems to have returned to live in England after closing his business in New York. He is probably the George E. Green who is listed in the England census of 1871 as the one-year-old son of Henry G. Green, an attorney/solicitor, living at 10, Portland Terrace, parish of All Saints, Southampton, England. In 1881 there is a George Ernest Green, age 11, born Southampton, Scholar at the District County School, Cranleigh, Surrey.

(1912-1917) Rite / Specialty / Co (click for image). In 1915 officers at Rite Specialty Co. were Sigmund Schwartz (1873-?), Abraham Schwartz (1880-?), and Leo Morse (1874-1943). At the time of the U. S. Census of 1910 all three lived at the home of Samuel Schwartz at 250 W. 139th St. Manhattan. Sigmund and Abraham Schwartz were sons of Samuel Schwartz, and Leo Morse was a son-in-law. And they were all members of the firm A. Schwartz & Bro., Novelties located at 32 Union Square East (founded ca.1908). Around 1911 this company was re-named Rite Specialty Co. An ad for one of their specialty items called a Pocket Auto Puff appeared in the New York Times in June 1911 when the company was located on Union Square. In 1912 the Times reported that "Frederick Southack & Alwyn Ball, Jr., have leased for the 37 West Thirty-sixth Street Realty Company the tenth loft at 35 to 39 West Thirty-sixth Street to the Rite Specialty Company." An ad for another specialty item, The Rite Companion, showing this address appeared in the New York Times in Nov. 1912. This ad for Brother Rite and Sister Rite dates from 1916. In 1918 Rite Specialty was dissolved. The Schwartz brothers formed Sigmund Schwartz Co. at 110-114 W. 32nd St., and Morse continued as Leo Morse Inc. at 35 W. 36th St. Both brothers registered for the World War I draft in 1918 when employed at Sig Schwartz Co., and Leo Morse registered as employed at his own company. The three men all appear in the 1920 U. S. Census, Abraham Schwartz still living with his (now-widowed) father, and the other two now living seperately with their own families on the West Side in Manhattan. By 1930 Leo Morse was living in San Francisco, Calif. and employed as a neckwear salesman. Morse died in San Francisco 23 April 1943.

(1912-1921) Henry J. Myers / ? Blouses (click for image). Henry Jacob Myers (1877-?), born in Missouri, manufactured waists in New York from around 1907 until the early 1920s. Apparently Myers had retired by 1922 since the officers of Henry J. Myers Inc. at that time were listed as M. Sanford Weil, Joseph M. Rosenbaum and Henry J. Goldberg.

(1912-1923) A. Breslauer / Human / Hair Goods (click for image). Adolph Breslauer (1867-?, immigrant from Russia 1885), importer of human hair goods, began his business around 1900. By 1917 at the time of World War I draft registration 3 Breslauers registered as employees of A. Breslauer: Bernhard Breslauer (1890-1967), Bernhard M. Breslauer (1891-?), buyer, and Benjamin Frank Breslauer (1893-1974), business manager. Bernard M. Breslauer and Benjamin Frank Breslauer were sons of Adolph Breslauer. Bernhard Breslauer (1890-1967) was the son of Benjamin Breslauer (1864/65-?, immigrant from Russia 1905), possibly a brother or cousin of Adolph Breslauer. By the mid-1920s the original Adolph Breslauer had been joined in the business by his son Benjamin Frank Breslauer and by Milton K. Breslauer (1901-1968) (relationship undetermined). The business moved to W. 48th St. in 1923, then remained in business for many years after, primarily on Fifth Ave. near 57th St. (1936-1973).

(1912-1923) The Cauvigny Brush Co. (click for image), in business since 1908, moved to 35 W. 36th St. in 1912. Officers of the company in 1915 were Louis D'Angelo (pres), Theo P. Huffman (v-p-sec) and Theo H. Dwelle (treas). They moved from here to Union Square in 1924, then to a Broadway location in 1946. The firm closed in the mid-1950s.

But the origins of Cauvigny Brush go back to the 1860s, when James M. C. Martin opened a brush manufacturing business on Fulton St. (Click here for ad that appeared in Trow's New York City Directory, 1864.) In the U. S. Census of 1860 James M. C. Martin, age 48, appears as a farmer living in New Windsor, N. Y. (near Newburgh) with his wife and 6 children. Among the children 3 sons, James M. C. Martin Jr. (1836-?), Robert P. Martin (1847/48-?) and Samuel Martin (1841-?), were later to join him in the brush business, which was founded around 1862, and renamed J. M. C. Martin & Sons by the mid-1870s. By the time of the U. S. Census of 1880 Martin and all 3 sons had migrated to East Orange, N. J. while maintaining the brush business on Fulton St.

In the mid-1890s a competitor appeared in the person of J. Addison Bowne, who shortly after merged with J. M. C. Martin to form Martin & Bowne Co. at 101 Reade St. The Martins seem to have lent only their name to the new enterprise, however. Officers at Martin & Bowne (which is listed as an importer of brushes rather than a manufacturer) around 1900 consisted of J. Addison Bowne (1862-?), Louis D'Angelo (born Italy, 1861), Theodore H. Dwelle (born Georgia, 1861), and Theodore P. Huffman (1859/60-?). This same foursome were in place in 1908 when Martin & Bowne was renamed Cauvigny Brush Co. at 298 Broadway.

The origin of the name Cauvigny is not clear, but it is likely brushes were imported from factories in Cauvigny (a town north of Paris, France). The present town of Cauvigny (Dept: Oise; population 1213 (www.quid.fr : Dec 2004)) features a "Moulin-musée de la brosserie de St-Félix" (Mill-museum of the Brush-Manufactory of St-Félix) dating from 1870. The town is also the home of the present-day Brosserie Desjardins (Jean-Luc Desjardins, pres.) founded in 1834 under the name Maison Ternant. The Brosserie Desjardins page on Le Conseil général de l'Oise website (Dec. 2004) claimed production quantities of 60,000 brushes per month.

For a great deal more on the brush industry in France, in particular in the Picardie region that includes Cauvigny, see "Origine du mot 'brosse'" at www.bium.univ-paris5.fr.

Titanic-Titanic.com has a cargo list that includes "1 case of brushware, Cauvigny Brush Co." among cargo lost.

(1912-1925) D. R. Paskie & Co. / Furs (click for image). Although the company name refers only to David Ralph Paskie (1883-?), D. R. Paskie & Co., wholesale furriers, was mostly a partnership between Paskie and his brother-in-law Barnett Suskind (1871-?). Both men were immigrants from Russia in the 1890s. The business began around 1910 on East 20th St. and lasted into the 1940s, although Paskie and Suskind were no longer partners after the early 1930s. Paskie became president of the New Mode Fur Co. on W. 30th St. (with his wife Alma T. Paskie as sec-treas). Suskind became, president of his own firm, Suskind Furs Inc., on W. 29th St. (with his son Milton Suskind (1907-1988) as v-p-treas).

(1913-1915) Melman Bros. / Dresses Gowns (click for image). The Melman brothers, "manufacturers of dresses and costumes," were David P. Melman (age 30 in 1910, immigrated from Russia 1905) and Joseph B. Melman (age 26 in 1910, immigrated from Russia 1905). They were in business from 1911 and moved to 35 W. 36th St. in 1913. By the middle 1920s the brothers had been joined by a third brother, Isidor K. Melman (1891-1972). The firm closed around 1930. David Melman joined the firm of Jay-Cobbs, Inc., Dresses and Hats. Isidor Melman became president of Melman, Robinson & Lipschitz, Inc., Dresses.

(1914-1918) Joel Hittleman / Furs (click for image). Joel Hittleman (1886-191?) was born in Pinsk, Russia (a city near the better known Minsk in southwest Belarus). I have not been able to establish his year of immigration, but he is listed as a furrier in New York as early as 1910. For 2 years during his stay at 35 W. 36 St. the business was called Goldman & Hittleman, the partner being a Sol Goldman (possibly his father-in-law). Hittleman died around 1918/19: his widow Martha Hittleman appears in the U S Census of 1920, living in the Bronx with two children age 8 and 2 and her mother Hanah Goldman (age 58, born Russia, immigrated 1903).

(1915-1917) National Black Goods Co. / Black Dresses & Waists (click for image). Also known as National Mourning Goods Co., National Black Goods was run by Frederick Greenberg (1888-1963) and Max Greenberg (1881-?). Presumably brothers, the Greenbergs were immigrants from Galicia, Austria, Max first in 1895 and Fred a good deal later in 1909 or 1911. Max Greenberg also had his own company, Max Greenberg Co., Waists. National Black Goods Co. was in business from approximately 1914 to 1930. Secretary in 1922 was Charles Lipman (1892-1967). This ad for National Mourning Goods Co. appeared in Women's Wear, 23 August 1918. This ad for National Black Goods Co. appeared in Women's Wear, 26 February 1924.

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