Mark Lyons O--O Cuffs 31 Mar 2024
#3Abercrombie & Fitch
This fine clothing retailer sold these handcuffs during the war years.
They supplied army and navy/submarine uniforms and private labeled helmets, medals, belts, holsters and handcuffs. The Hamburg 8 cuffs were private labeled from Kayser.
Research that I found, shows that they sold only 250 of the AF marked cuffs since the early 1920's and should have an approximate value of $1,000 - 1,500, close to what I paid for this one from the family.
The pair that I have (#11 /4) has the Abercrombie & Fitch markings. I got these from the estate of a family member years ago and was told that these are the ones hanging on the wall in Fitch's office. (below)
I think she was the grand or great grand daughter of Ezra Hasbrook Fitch.
Fitch with one of their Hamburg 8's -- Mine?
A jacket label from the warehouse inventory from Vienna. Vanek joined A&F sometime between WWl and WWll.
From wikipedia:
Founding
The company was originally established as
Abercrombie Co. by David Abercrombie on June 4, 1892, in a small waterfront shop at 36 South Street in downtown Manhattan, New York. Wealthy New York businessman Ezra Fitch became one of the store's regular customers. In 1900, Fitch bought a major share in the growing Abercrombie Company and thus joined as co-founder.
The partnership between
Abercrombie and Fitch did not end happily. The two men, with different visions for the future of A&F, quarreled frequently, although the company continued to prosper. Fitch wished to expand the company's appeal to the general public, while Abercrombie wanted to continue selling professional gear to professional outdoorsmen. As a result of the disagreement, Abercrombie sold his share in the company to Fitch in 1907 and returned to manufacturing outdoor goods. Fitch continued the business with other partners and directed the company as he pleased.
The Fitch years
Cover of A&F catalog from 1909.
Inside the historical A&F 1909 catalog.
In 1917, the store moved into a 12-story building at the corner of Madison Avenue and East 45th Street. The store occupied the entire available space (12 stories).
The Madison Avenue store included many different amenities.
The basement housed a
shooting range while on the mezzanine (main floor) paraphernalia for skiing, archery, free diving, and lawn games were sold.
Gun part manufacturer's order.
The second through fifth floors were reserved for clothing that was suitable for different climate or terrains. On the sixth floor were a picture gallery, a bookstore a watch repair facility and a golf school. The seventh floor included a gun room with hundreds of shotguns and rifles, decorated with stuffed game heads. The eighth floor contained fishing, camping, and boating equipment and included a desk for a fly- and bait-casting instructor who gave lessons at the pool, which was located on the roof.
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. became the first American store to import Mahjong.
Ezra Fitch imported the game after a female customer looked for the game that she had played in China. He went to China for the game and translated the instructions into English. Mahjong became a fast-selling product, and Abercrombie & Fitch became the epicenter of the Mahjong craze.
The company sent emissaries to Chinese villages to buy as many Mahjong sets as possible and eventually sold over 12,000 sets.
In 1927, Abercrombie & Fitch outfitted Charles Lindbergh for his historic flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
It also attracted the business of other prominent figures.
Post-Fitch era.
In 1928, Fitch retired from the company and sold to his brother-in-law, James S. Cobb. Under Cobb, A&F acquired Von Lengerke & Detmold, a well-respected New York dealer of fine European-made sporting guns, as well as that company's Chicago branch, Von Lengerke & Antoine. Cobb also acquired
Griffin & Howe, another gunsmith company. Merchandise from both Von Lengerke & Detmold and
Griffin & Howe was carried at A&F's Madison Avenue store.
By 1929, sales of US$6.3 million were reported with net profits of US$548,000.
