Amson Furtsch, Buttons and Buckles, 25 W. 31st St. (2003)

Amson Furtsch was in the "novelties" and buttons business from around 1905.
He was located in six other buildings within the 14-to-42 area:
	15 W. 17th St. (1909-1912),
	133-37 W. 21 St. (1912-1918),
	in this building (1918-1926),
	36 E. 31st St. (1926-30),
	512 7th Ave. (1931-33),
	and then for another 20 years at 247 W. 38th St. (1934-1955).

Amson Furtsch was also in partnership with Samuel Howard and George Wolfe as Howard Wolfe & Furtsch Inc., "buttons and novelties," at 25 W. 31st St. from 1922 to 1925.

The Amson Furtsch sign on this building appears in a photograph by Lloyd Acker from around 1940-1950. In the Acker photo, signs for the Arrow Dress Co., the Biltwell Dress & Costume Co. and for J. Blumenthal and Bro. Skirts appear clearly above the Amson Furtsch sign. Click here for Acker image.

The Arrow Dress Co. was a partnership between the father and son team, Joseph Sugarman and Harry Sugarman. (The family name is also spelled Sugerman in some sources.) Joseph Sugarman is found in the 1900 U. S. Census, a "wrapper maker," 34 years old, born July, 1865, Germany, immigrated 1891. His son, Harry, was 7 years old. In 1917 Harry Sugarman registered for the World War I draft. He was 24 years old, born 8 May 1893, Brooklyn, NY, and his occupation was "Merchant, Arrow Dress Co., 31 W. 31st St." The Arrow Dress Co. was in business from 1914 to 1921, and they were located at 31 W. 31st St. for those seven years. (31-33 W. 31st St. is located to the immediate west of 25-29 W. 31st St. The sign was painted next door, since there is no visible side wall at 31 W. 31st.) The Arrow sign appears on two photos in the New York Public Library's Digital Collections. including digital IDs 708539F and 708542F (click on Zoom, and scan towards the bottom left in both images).

The Biltwell Dress & Costume Co. belonged to Aaron Wilner and Morris Green. Wilner was an immigrant from Russia (1909) and Green from western Ukraine (Galicia, 1900). They were partners in manufacturing clothing in New York from around 1915 until the late 1930s. This ad for Biltwell at 142 W. 24th St. appeared in Fairchild's Women's Wear Directory, July, 1919. They were located here at 25 W. 31st St. only a couple of years, approx. 1923 to 1925.

J. Blumenthal and Bro. Skirts were Jacob Blumenthal and brother Aaron. They were partners in the manufacture of ladies' skirts from around 1911 until 1927, and they were located at 25 W. 31st St. from 1924 to 1927.

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