Martin Building: Capitol Silk, etc., 102 Madison Ave. at 29th St. (2003)

FELS DRESSES
CAPITOL SILK CORP.
LILYKNIT SILK UNDERWEAR CO.
CORBETT BROS QUALITY RIBBONS
MAX HELD WAISTS CO. / FORSYTHE WAISTS
RIBBON MILLS CORP. "Eventually Your Ribbon House"

Fels Dresses was founded in the 1880s by William Fels (1847-1914), an immigrant from Germany/Austria in 1862. In 1880 Fels was a silk manufacturer living in Paterson, New Jersey, with his wife Elise, son Carl (age 4) and his mother Gertrude. By the mid-1880s Fels had moved to New York, and established a business selling "cases" on Canal St. (cases probably refers to boxes, but whether these were wooden or paper boxes I'm not sure). In 1901/02 Wm. Fels' business was manufacture of "suits, children's and girls' dresses," and he was located at 13 E. 16th St. This ad for Fels appeared in Fairchild's Women's Wear Directory, July 1911, shortly after moving to 148 W. 23rd St. About six months before his death in Dec. 1914 William Fels retired, and eventually the firm was taken over by his son, Carl Schurz Fels (1876-193?). Carl Fels registered for the World War I draft while a "Commercial Traveler Wm Fels Co 102 Madison Ave NYC NY NY." In 1920 this ad appeared in the New York Times for Fels while located at 102 Madison Ave. Fels Dresses moved to this address in 1917 and stayed until 1926. The awkward phrase "If from Fels - It Sells" is retained in this ad from 1926 after Fels moved to W. 37th St. Shortly after this move the business name changed to Carl Fels, Inc. Carl Fels, Inc. stayed in business until approx. 1935. Click here for Fels sign.

While maintaining their cloak lining dept. at 1400 Broadway, Capitol Silk Corp. moved their main office to 102 Madison Ave. around 1934. The stay was brief, however. In 1936 Capitol moved across the street to 99-103 Madison Ave. renting a store, mezzanine and basement at this location (New York Times, Dec 30, 1936, p. 38). Click here for clearer view of sign. In 1925 Capitol Silk was located at 432 4th Ave. (now called Park Ave. South), and the officers were Saul Solovei, pres., and Joseph Michalover, sec-treas. Saul Solovei (1899-1971) was the youngest of three Solovei Bros. who were waist (blouse) and later dress manufacturers from around 1921 to 1962. The other brothers were Joseph Solovei (1896-1975) and Samuel Solovei (1897-1971). Solovei Bros., dress manufacturers, were located at 1400 Broadway from 1932 to 1962. Joseph Michalover (1899-1968) was the son of Nathan Michalover (ca.1869-1937), an immigrant from Russia who ran a saloon on Mott St. with his brother, Barnet, around 1914-17. Joseph Michalover had his own firm, Joseph Michalover Inc., Silks, from around 1930 to 1950.

Lilyknit Silk Underwear Co. also stayed at 102 Madison Ave. only a few years, between 1930 to 1932. Lilyknit began around 1917 with Alex Weiss, president, and Sander Frankel, treasurer. They were located primarily at 141 W. 29th St. (from 1920 to 1926). When they left 102 Madison Ave. they changed the company name to Lily Knit Underwear Co. Lily Knit Underwear stayed in business until the mid-1970s. Arnold Constable ran this ad for Lilyknit's lingerie beauties in 1958. Click here for Lilyknit sign.

The Corbett Bros., ribbon manufacturers and importers, were Edgar M. Corbett (1864?-?) and Robert S. Corbett (1876?-1952). Edgar began with a ribbon manufactory located at 102 Prince St. and 549 W. 132nd St. in 1895. He and his brother Robert then joined with Frank A. Reinhardt to form Corbett, Reinhardt & Co. around 1902 on Greene St. in the area now known as Soho. This business moved to 536 Broadway around 1905, where it became Corbett Bros. Co. in 1907. They were on Fourth Ave. from 1910 until 1923, then moved to 102 Madison Ave. They remained at this address until the early 1940s. Click here for Corbett sign.

An indistinct sign with red letters above Capitol Silk reads Max Held Waist Co. / Forsythe Waist. Max Held "Herald Square Waist Makers" began at 118 Spring St. in 1903 and moved to 21 W. Houston St. a year later. From 1909 to 1915 they were located at 310-318 6th Ave. This ad for Max Held Inc. appeared in Fairchild's Women's Wear Directory, July 1911. The name Forsythe Waist Co. dates from around 1914. The company moved to 102 Madison Ave. in 1923, then seems to have gone out of business about two years later. Max Held appears in the 1910 U. S. Census as age 39; Manufacturer, Waists; born Germany; immigrated 1888; living at 473 East 12th St., Brooklyn, with his wife, Ida, 4 sons and 1 daughter, along with 3 servants (all black, born Virginia). Click here for Max Held / Forsythe.

The Ribbon Mills Corp. dates from 1924. They were located at 1180 Broadway (Arthur Flatto, president-treasurer) until 1933, then moved to 102 Madison Ave. They remained at this address until 1939. Click here for Ribbon Mills sign. Ribbon Mills Corp. was preceded by the Flatto Ribbon Corp., founded by the brothers George I. Flatto (1886-1969) and Arthur C. Flatto (1895-1955) in 1919. They were sons of Samuel A. Flatto, a pawnbroker, who immigrated from Germany ca. 1867-70. The family appears in the U. S. Census of 1900 living at 170 E. 95th St. George is 13 years old and Arthur C. Flatto is 5. Prior to founding Flatto Ribbon Mills in 1919 George Flatto had previously been employed for 17 years at E. H. Levy. Another brother, William Flatto (1885-1965), was also associated with the business. He was elected a director of Flatto Ribbon Corp. in 1953. Ribbon Mills and Flatto were both located at 29-33 W. 35th St. in 1940/41 (with prominent signs) when the "tax photos" (available at the NYC Municipal Archives) were taken. The Ribbon Mills Corp. closed in the early 1950s and Flatto Ribbon continued until around 1959.

A photo in the New York Public Library's Digital Collections by Percy Loomis Sperr (1890-1964) dated 1928 shows this wall with a very different configuration of signs (as follows):

With the exception of Max Held (and possibly the barest traces of Samuel Broads above Max Held), none of these 1928 signs can be made out on my images made between 2003 and 2006. Fels is the one anomaly: although reasonably clear in my images, it would have occupied the spot taken by Stein Moss in the 1928 image. Is this a case of an older sign bleeding through a later one?

Construction of new residential housing along 29th St. has almost totally destroyed the view of these signs as of mid-year 2007.
Click for Sep. 2006 view. Click for June 2007 view.

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