HLB Corp = Harry L. Breslow Corp

[bjoy]

Google has finally indexed a book (dated 1940) which provides a possibly major clue about the initials of the well-known WW2 manufacturer H.L.B. Corp.

http://books.google.com/books?id=nZ...ook_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CEEQ6AEwCA

The snippet says "H.L.B. Corp., 146 W. 26 St Leather coats P.: Harry L. Breslow, M5,W3".

So, did Harry Breslow name the company for himself, or is it just a coincidence?

Other searches using the name "Harry Breslow" come up starting in 1919 associated with a business called "Empire Textile Mills".

In 1924 there is another book snippet for a "Mr. Harry Breslow, 26 East Twenty-first Street — Silks, Woolens and Dress Goods." which possibly is the same man.

The earliest mention of HLB Corp I have found is "Feb 21, 1929 - The eight-story loft building a1 419-421 Lafayette Street has been bought by the Wenlo Corporation from the HLB Corporation." (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...yette+Street"+"hlb+corporation"&aq=f&aqi=&oq=)

We know that HLB Corp in 1945 was at 525 West 52nd Street due to this yearbook advertisement: http://www.e-yearbook.com/yearbooks...Academy_Lucky_Bag_Yearbook/1945/Page_610.html.

(There was a prior discussion last year about Harry Buegeleisen being the source of those initials at http://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6771.)

 

[zoomer]

Harry Buegeleisen's involvement in musical instrument merchandising would have made him unusual in the garment trade. It was a very insular business then, with little migration in or out.

That right there would suggest Breslow was a more likely candidate for HLB - absent any other hard evidence of course.

 

[deeb7]

Google has finally indexed a book (dated 1940) which provides a possibly major clue about the initials of the well-known WW2 manufacturer H.L.B. Corp.

Well done, I'm glad you didn't give up ... I was never happy with that Buegeleisen story.

 

[bjoy]

Harry Buegeleisen's involvement in musical instrument merchandising would have made him unusual in the garment trade. It was a very insular business then, with little migration in or out.

I believe the Harry Buegeleisen of goggle fame and the Harry of Buegeleisen & Jacobson were not the same person (one had a father named Hyman and the other Samuel).

The Harry of "Harry Buegeleisen Inc" had an older brother named Joseph who I believe was one who started the motorcycle business in Detroit.

 

[bjoy]

I'm glad you didn't give up ... I was never happy with that Buegeleisen story.

Thanks, David. I kept going back because I didn't believe it likely either after doing research, and Goggle would occasionally fix bugs which would reveal just a tiny bit more information.

For instance, HLB Corp had multiple trademarks but snippet view would always hide the important pieces. It once showed the following tidbit (and later it disappeared again):

"HLB CORPORATION, New York, NY Filed Feb. 17, 1944. SNO-BEES The word "Sno" Is disclaimed apart from the mark. FOR MEN'S, WOMEN'S, BOYS' AND GIRLS' LEATHER SPORT COATS AND JACKETS. Claims use since Jan. 5, 1943. Ser. No. 467000. ..."