Modern Pleating, etc., 330 W. 38th St. (2004)

Modern Pleating originated around 1917 as a partnership between the three brothers Harry G. Melman (1890- ), Julius Melman (1897-1981) and Jesse Bernard Melman (1898-1968). The brothers were recent immigrants from Russia and they appear in the US Census of 1920 living with their father (Max), mother (Lena), eight brothers and sisters and one aunt at 233 E. 21st St. Modern Pleating acquired the telephone number MEDallion 3855 in 1928 (this became ME3-3855 in 1930) and the company moved to 330 W. 38th St. in 1929. They stayed in business at this address until the 1970s. (The term "nailhead" seems to refer to ornaments shaped like the head of a nail.)

Also on this wall:

U. S. Packing & Shipping was located here from 1930 to 1955. Principals in 1930 were Ira Jablin, Samuel Kreis and Arthur Moses. Ira Jablin appears in the U S Census of 1930 age 28 living with father and mother on St. Johns Place in Brooklyn. Samuel Kreis age 32 appears in the same 1930 census living on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn with wife and 2 young sons, Robert 3 and Leonard 7 months. Kreis was an immigrant from Romania in 1900. The business moved to Jersey City in the early 1970s.

Independent Quilting was in business at several locations in the West 30s from the mid-1920s, then moved to 330 W. 38th St. in 1939. They stayed at this location until the mid-1960s. President in 1925 was Jacob A. Rainford (ca1874-1956). He appears in the U S Census of 1920 as "Manufacture Quilted Linings" age 45 living in Bergenfield, N.J., an immigrant from Russia (Latvia) in 1892.

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