Company Info
Erskine was a USA company, located in New York City. Erskine made shaving brushes from about 1900-1952.
Little else is known about the history of this company. James Lowe Erskine may have started ca. 1898 as the junior partner in a barber supply as "Hollingsworth & Erskine, shaving brushes a specialty, 447 & 449 Greenwich" in New York City [1]. By 1901 he was in business for himself. [2]
From 1904-1911 Erskine resided first in Brooklyn, NY and later in Montclair, NJ. During this time he filed or witnessed several patents for shave brush designs. [3]
Erskine did business at 462 Greenwich Ave, New York City from as early as 1912 to as late as 1920. [4] By 1914 the company was outsourcing some of its handle manufacturing [5] and had become active in politics. [6]
Erskine brushes were still being sold as late as 1952 but the company had moved to 100 Water St, Brooklyn NY. [7]
Little else is known about the history of this company. James Lowe Erskine may have started ca. 1898 as the junior partner in a barber supply as "Hollingsworth & Erskine, shaving brushes a specialty, 447 & 449 Greenwich" in New York City [1]. By 1901 he was in business for himself. [2]
From 1904-1911 Erskine resided first in Brooklyn, NY and later in Montclair, NJ. During this time he filed or witnessed several patents for shave brush designs. [3]
Erskine did business at 462 Greenwich Ave, New York City from as early as 1912 to as late as 1920. [4] By 1914 the company was outsourcing some of its handle manufacturing [5] and had become active in politics. [6]
Erskine brushes were still being sold as late as 1952 but the company had moved to 100 Water St, Brooklyn NY. [7]
Product Info
References
- ^Trow's Business Directory for 1898
- ^In 1901 the "James Lowe Erskine Co" paid $6.25 corporate tax to the State of New York, according to the Annual Report of the Comptroller
- ^Erskine filed patent US790622 for an improved one-piece shaving brush handle. Erskine appears as a witness on patent US841453 for a folding handle, something like a turnback. patent USD43693 covers another handle design, as well as USD39898 and USD39899.
- ^The 1920 Merchants' Association of New York Yearbook lists a "James Lowe Erskine Co" at 462 Greenwich, "Mfs Shaving Brushes, Specialties". The same address is listed in "The Era" for 1912 and 1916.
- ^A 1914 issue of Barrel and Box mentions that the Standard Novelty Company of 25 Hackett St made handles for Erskine.
- ^In 1921 Erskine signed a letter from the American Brush Manufacturers Association to Congress, requesting lower tariffs on imported bristles. The letter states that bristles are imported from Asia and Europe, and that no domestic sources are available. It is unclear whether this referred to boar exclusively, or to both boar and badger. The same letter mentions an existing tariff of 35% on finished brushes, and requests an increase to 60% to protect domestic manufacturers from foreign competition. There is also some interesting discussion of competition between Germany, Japan, and Russia for control of Russian bristle exports.
- ^Chain store age, Volume 28 and Hardware Age, Volume 180, Issues 1-2 (1957).
