139 New York, 1911 to 1914, .
Lot of 24 Issued or partially issued and cancelled stock certificates from this historic department store that was a New York
Shopping institution for close to 100 years. Also included are 82 unissued generic certificates. A second book from A & S dated from 1920 to 1925 with 21 fully
issued and cancelled certificates; 6 partially issued and voided and 214 unissued certificates are also included. Certificates numbers 1; 2 and 3 are missing;
Certificate numbers 4 through 27 are present. Certificates 4; 5 and 6 are signed by Nathan Straus, Isidor Straus, Abraham Abraham and Simon Rothschild, all
partners in the firm Abraham & Straus as well as Macy’s. Twelve of the certificates are either fully or partially issued and ink or uncancelled. The balance of the
certificates were issued and the signatures on the face were multiple punch cancelled. Condition varies between VG to XF for the issued certificates and mint
for the unissued. Never offered previously at auction. A unique opportunity to acquire a rare archive documenting the early financial history of one of the largest
retail stores in the United States owned by some of the most prominent German Jewish families of that time. It documents the business evolution from the
older to the younger generations in the various families as well as covering the tragic time period of Isidor and Ida Straus death on the Titanic and Abraham
Abrahams death in June 1911.
(PH)
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EST. $15000925000
139
30
Archives International Auctions, Part XVI
October 19, 2013
Archives International Auctions
New York
Historic Abraham & Straus and Macy’s Related
Stock Certificate Archive from 1911 to 1914.
Abraham & Straus (or A&S) was a major New York City department store, based in Brooklyn New York. Abraham Abraham and Joseph Wechsler founded
Wechsler & Abraham in 1865 in Brooklyn, New York. The Straus family acquired a general partnership with Macy’s Department stores in 1888 and in on April
1, 1893 Nathan Straus, Isidor Straus and Simon F. Rothschild as partners, bought out Wechsler’s interest and they change the name to Abraham & Straus. At
the time, the company had 2,000 employees.
Isidor Straus (February 6, 1845 – April 15, 1912) was a German<born American businessman and co<owner of Macy's department store with his brother Nathan.
He also served briefly as a member of the United States House of Representatives. He died with his wife, Ida, in the sinking of the passenger ship RMS Titanic
on April 15th, 1912.
Nathan Straus (January 31, 1848 – January 11, 1931) was an American merchant and philanthropist who co<owned two of New York City's biggest department
stores, R.H. Macy & Company and Abraham & Straus. Nathan decided to stay in Palestine when his brother Isidor and sister<in<law Ida Straus went back to
New York on the Titanic and lost their lives. He felt he had been spared by divine intervention and decided to give away most of his fortune to various projects
in Ottoman Palestine. He was also a major force in establishing milk pasteurization as a standard method of reducing infant mortality in the U.S. and then
applied the same methods to Israel (Palestine).
Abraham Abraham (March 9, 1843 – June 28, 1911) was an American businessman and the founder of the Brooklyn, New York department store Abraham &
Straus, founded in 1865. The chain, which became part of Federated Department Stores, is now part of Macy's.
