Hall & Arbes, 40 W. 27th St. (2004)

Dimly, at the top of this stack is a sign for Hall & Arbes / Furriers. Hall & Arbes began around 1889 on Bleecker St., moved to 217 Mercer St. in 1896, then to 787-789 Broadway in 1899, and finally to 40 W. 27th St. in 1911. They were in business at this address until 1915.

Joseph Arbes (1865-?) was born in Leskau, Bohemia, 30 July 1865, immigrated to the U. S. at the age of 11 in April 1877, and became a naturalized citizen in 1898. Leskau appears to be the modern Lestkov in the Czech Republic near the border with Germany northwest of Praha. Arbes lived most of his life in Weehawken, New Jersey, but at the time of his naturalization lived on E. 116th St. in Manhattan.

Ferdinand Hall (1860-?) was a native New Yorker born 25 Nov. 1860. He appears in the U. S. Census of 1900, age 39, living with his wife, Helen, in the household of his father-in-law, Benjamin Cohn, retired merchant, at 131 E. 60th St., Manhattan. He is also very possibly the Ferdinand Hall, age 9, in the U. S. Census of 1870 living with his father, Sigmond Hall, 37, a merchant tailor born in Baden, Germany, and his mother, Hannah Hall, 38, born Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany. The family at this time had 5 children, ages 5 to 13. The same family appears in the U. S. Census of 1880, minus their father. At this time they lived at 336 1st Ave., Manhattan, and Hannah Hall is head of family, with the same children, ages 13 to 21. All of the children have occupations. Ferdinand and his brother, Moses, are clerks.

This ad for Hall & Arbes appeared in Cloaks and Furs, July, 1897, when they were located at 217-219 Mercer St.

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