HLB Corp= Harry L. Buegeleisen Company

[oose]

Hi,
Well at least the building is still there

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... ,,0,-34.69

stu

 

[deeb7]

Thanks for this address. The more I consider the evidence Harry L Buegeleisen seems the only candidate for HLB Corp. Who else could it be?

Well anybody, until we find the missing link.

So far we have the suit ... an HLB Corp jacket, with Buco trousers. Across the Brooklyn bridge we have the goggles factory, Harry Buegeleisen Inc, Strauss & Buegeleisen, HB Rocket goggles, Resistal goggles.

As yet, there's not a connection between the two.

 

[Roughwear]

Thanks for this address. The more I consider the evidence Harry L Buegeleisen seems the only candidate for HLB Corp. Who else could it be?

Well anybody, until we find the missing link.

So far we have the suit ... an HLB Corp jacket, with Buco trousers. Across the Brooklyn bridge we have the goggles factory, Harry Buegeleisen Inc, Strauss & Buegeleisen, HB Rocket goggles, Resistal goggles.

As yet, there's not a connection between the two.

David you're such a sceptic! But there is a connection. Harry and Joseph Buegeleisen were brothers. HLB Corp was Harry's firm, whilst Buco or Joseph Buegeleisen Co was his brother's. Simple really. :lol:

 

[Curahee]

Don't mind me interrupting you guys, but I just wanted to let you how much I enjoy this sort of jacket research.....please carry on.

 

[bjoy]

I had been tenatively assuming that the Buegeleisen in the company called Strauss & Buegeleisen was the Harry (of Harry Buegeleisen, Inc) when he was younger.

I was doing research on that angle and discovered that may not be true. In a 1918 New York Times article, it appears that Strauss & Buegeleisen was making more gas masks than goggles, and that the corporate spokesman's name was "Elias Beugeleisen".

The story (images of two newspaper articles) is in a PDF at http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-fr ... 946996D6CF.

Note that the story spells his name as "Beugeleisen" which is why it was hard to find. Is this a misspelling or actually someone perhaps not related to the firm's co-owner? Note that he is quoted as saying that "he and Mr. Strauss were born in America" which implies he was the co-owner.

The article is a public dispute about the quality of the goggles and whether they were of German origin.

 

[Roughwear]

I had been tenatively assuming that the Buegeleisen in the company called Strauss & Buegeleisen was the Harry (of Harry Buegeleisen, Inc) when he was younger.

I was doing research on that angle and discovered that may not be true. In a 1918 New York Times article, it appears that Strauss & Buegeleisen was making more gas masks than goggles, and that the corporate spokesman's name was "Elias Beugeleisen".

The story (images of two newspaper articles) is in a PDF at http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-fr ... 946996D6CF.

Note that the story spells his name as "Beugeleisen" which is why it was hard to find. Is this a misspelling or actually someone perhaps not related to the firm's co-owner? Note that he is quoted as saying that "he and Mr. Strauss were born in America" which implies he was the co-owner.

The article is a public dispute about the quality of the goggles and whether they were of German origin.

Harry may possibly have been Elias's son or nephew. Often you find these specialist firms were real family affairs-think of Spiewak and Sons and the Bronco/Sheeplined link-with the sons learning the business from their father(s) and later starting their own businesses in the same or a similar field.

 

[zoomer]

This wasn't just a family business, but very often, a Jewish business. Historically, tanning and leathermaking was such a dirty job that most working class folks wouldn't touch it, so it attracted peoople who (like Jews) were barred from other trades. They also had a tradition of not just passing down a trade thru the family, but often spinning off new businesses to family members.

 

[bjoy]

Note that the story spells his name as "Beugeleisen" which is why it was hard to find. Is this a misspelling or actually someone perhaps not related to the firm's co-owner? Note that he is quoted as saying that "he and Mr. Strauss were born in America" which implies he was the co-owner.

It is confirmed that Elias spelled his name the same as Harry, and that he was the owner of Strauss & Buegeleisen from an advertisement in Aerial Age Weekly in 1918 for "Resistal Eyetects" goggles.

http://books.google.com/books?id=wxAvAA ... en&f=false

 

[deeb7]

David you're such a sceptic! But there is a connection. Harry and Joseph Buegeleisen were brothers. HLB Corp was Harry's firm, whilst Buco or Joseph Buegeleisen Co was his brother's. Simple really. :lol:

Where do you get this from? :?

 

[bjoy]

Harry may possibly have been Elias's son or nephew. Often you find these specialist firms were real family affairs-think of Spiewak and Sons and the Bronco/Sheeplined link-with the sons learning the business from their father(s) and later starting their own businesses in the same or a similar field.

There is some evidence that "Strauss & Buegeleisen" (with Elias Buegeleisen as co-owner) and "Harry Buegeleisen, Inc" are connected somehow.

One connection is that "Harry Buegeleisen, Inc" was making Resistal branded goggles in the 30's. Apparently these were marked H.B.N.Y. on the goggles, and the box had Harry's company name. Yet this brand was being sold by "S&B" at least as early as 1918.

Another probable connection is a fragment of text presented by Google Books that says "The new concern is located at 287 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY, and is under the direction of Harry Buegeleisen and his brother, Elias. ..." from a 1933 "aero digest" volume. Maybe the "S&B" owner is Harry's brother, or he had a sibling named after him? (The text fragment does not provide the name of that "new concern" so it is not certain if this is the right Harry.)

It appears that "Harry Buegeleisen, Inc" was located at 22 Bergen Street, Brooklyn from at least 1938 to 1945 based on various refererences:

http://books.google.com/books?cd=9&q=%2 ... arch+Books

He was still based in Brooklyn (not the same street address though) as late as 1955 using the same company name. Of course that overlaps the time period of "H.L.B. Corp" which we recently learned had its plant in Manhattan.

(For completeness, note there was also a Harry Bugeleisen that worked at "Bugeleisen & Jacobson, Inc" which sold musical instruments during that same time period.)

 

[Andrew]

How common would that name be now in the NY/ Brooklyn area (maybe there's thousands by now )? Maybe a local could check the phonebooks for descendants who may have history- it's fairly recent history still...

 

[deeb7]

... Maybe a local could check the phonebooks for descendants who may have history- it's fairly recent history still...

..... and here's a job for you.

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse. ... seo&ghc=20

 

[Roughwear]

One connection is that "Harry Buegeleisen, Inc" was making Resistal branded goggles in the 30's. Apparently these were marked H.B.N.Y. on the goggles, and the box had Harry's company name. Yet this brand was being sold by "S&B" at least as early as 1918.

Another probable connection is a fragment of text presented by Google Books that says "The new concern is located at 287 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY, and is under the direction of Harry Buegeleisen and his brother, Elias. ..." from a 1933 "aero digest" volume. Maybe the "S&B" owner is Harry's brother, or he had a sibling named after him? (The text fragment does not provide the name of that "new concern" so it is not certain if this is the right Harry.)

It appears that "Harry Buegeleisen, Inc" was located at 22 Bergen Street, Brooklyn from at least 1938 to 1945 based on various refererences:

http://books.google.com/books?cd=9&q=%2 ... arch+Books

He was still based in Brooklyn (not the same street address though) as late as 1955 using the same company name. Of course that overlaps the time period of "H.L.B. Corp" which we recently learned had its plant in Manhattan.

As far as locations are concerned as this was a family business it is likely that the Brooklyn and Manhattan "factories" were managed by different family members. H.L.B Corp was established in the mid 1930s to make aviation clothing, whilst Harry Buegeleisen Inc, was the older firm, which specialised in manufacturing goggles. I can see no problem with the two names running side by side.

 

[bjoy]

As far as locations are concerned as this was a family business it is likely that the Brooklyn and Manhattan "factories" were managed by different family members. H.L.B Corp was established in the mid 1930s to make aviation clothing, whilst Harry Buegeleisen Inc, was the older firm, which specialised in manufacturing goggles. I can see no problem with the two names running side by side.

The earliest mention found of Harry Buegeleisen Inc so far is 1937 (when he submitted a bid for goggles later rejected by the goverment when delivered). It is not clear when he apparently took over the assets of Strauss & Buegeleisen run by his brother Elias.

The earliest mention found of HLB Corporation is 1929 when it sold a large building to another company.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbo= ... f&aqi=&oq=

The earliest mention of Harry is in the 1910 census (found on ancestry.com) when he was 12 living with his father Hyman D. Buegeleisen. His brother Elias was 24. (And he had another brother Joseph age 17 who very likely was the founder of Joseph Buegeleisen Co in 1933.)

 

[bjoy]

There are mentions of HLB Corporation receiving multiple government contracts before the US entered the war. I assume censorship prevented additional items from being published during the war:

"Jan 31, 1941 - The larger orders included: HLB Corporation, New York, $114359 for Jackets
and trousers, and Perry Sportswear Company, Newburgh, NY, $253984 for Jackets and trousers."

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbo= ... f&aqi=&oq=

In May, 1950, a leasing newspaper item: "HLB Corp, floor in 90B Broadway".

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbo= ... f&aqi=&oq=