Marcus And Company
Herman Marcus was born in Germany in 1828. He began his career working for jewelers Ellemeyer in Dresden who were jewelers for the court. Then in 1850 he left home and headed to New York finding work with Tiffany & Co. and later with Ball, Black & Co. After his time with each of those companies he formed a partnership with Theodore Starr in 1864, called Starr & Marcus. This company lasted until 1877. After this company dissolved Marcus returned to Tiffany & Co. and represented the company the following year in Paris at the International Exposition of 1878. In 1884 he left to join his son William in his business Jacques & Marcus. Then William’s partner George Jaques retired in 1892 and the father and son renamed the company Marcus & Co. William’s brother George Marcus joined the company. In 1897 they participated in the first exhibition of the Society of Arts and Crafts Boston. In 1898 Raymond Yard joined the firm as a messenger boy and would remain with them for twenty four years. He eventually became their general manager. Then in 1922 he left to open his own firm. Herman Marcus remained working until his death in 1899, after which his two sons moved the business to 544 Fifth Avenue. Over the years the company grew and had locations in New York, Palm Beach, London, Paris and Bombay. William was joined in the business by his two sons William Jr and Chapin who took over when their father died in 1925 (George had already passed away in 1917). The company made in throught the crash of the market in 1929 and held through the 1930's however a new tax on luxury goods at the start of World War II pushed the company into financial issues. It was sold to Gimbels department store in 1941 and moved to an area of the 5th floor. Chapin Marcus continued to work for the new owners until 1962 when the company was merged with Black, Starr and Frost.
