Abraham Abraham Explained
| Abraham Abraham |
| Birth Date: | 9 March 1843 |
| Birth Place: | New York City, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Cherry Island, New York, U.S. |
| Children: | - Lillian Isabelle Abraham Rothschild
- Florence May Abraham Blum
- Lawrence Emanuel Abraham
- Edith S. Abraham Straus
|
| Known For: | Founder of Abraham & Straus |
| Occupation: | Businessman |
Abraham Abraham (March 9, 1843 – June 28, 1911) was an American businessman and the founder of the Brooklyn department store Abraham & Straus, founded 1865. The chain, which became part of Federated Department Stores, is now part of Macy's.
Early life
Abraham was born to a Jewish family,[1] the son of Judah Abraham, a native of Bavaria who left in 1837 and married Sarah Sussman en route to the United States. Soon after arrival, Judah Abraham opened a store on Murray Street in New York. In 1843 Abraham Abraham was born. He had delicate health, and wanted to be a violinist. During the Civil War, he ran away to Chicago to enlist, but was brought back by his father. At 14, he worked at Hart & Dettlebach of Newark, along with Simon Bloomingdale and Benjamin Altman for $1 a week.
Career
Abraham opened Wechsler & Abraham in Brooklyn in 1865 at 297 Fulton Street.[2] The company later became Abraham & Straus.
He became a Brooklyn philanthropist, establishing the Brooklyn Jewish Hospital, among many other causes. In 1890, he commissioned a house, now demolished, at 800 St. Mark's Avenue in Brooklyn.
Personal life
Abraham married twice. In 1868, he married Isabella Hyams; she died in 1875.[3] In 1882, he married Rose Epstein; they remained married until his death.[4] He had three children with his first wife and one with his second wife, Rose:
- Lillian Isabelle Abraham Rothschild (married to Simon F. Rothschild);[5] [6]
- Florence May Abraham Blum (married to Edward Charles Blum);[7] [8]
- Lawrence Emanuel Abraham; and
- Edith Abraham Straus (married to Percy Selden Straus, son of Isidor Straus).[9]
His many notable descendants include grandson Donald B. Straus (son of his daughter Edith), an educator, author, and advisor; great-great-granddaughter Nina Rothschild Utne, a magazine publisher; great-great-grandson Peter A. Bradford, civil servant and nuclear power expert, and great-great-great-grandson Arthur Bradford, an author and director.
Abraham died on Cherry Island, near Alexandria Bay, New York.
Further reading
- "...And Paramus Makes Ten", internal A&S history document on opening of Paramus Park store, 1974.
- "Abraham Abraham, Merchant, Is Dead; Sudden End of a Man of Notable Career, Known for His Broad and Liberal Activities", PDF file with full text of The New York Times obituary, June 29, 1911.
Notes and References
- Book: Jews of Brooklyn. Ilana. Abramovitch . Seán. Galvin. 4–5 . Brandeis. November 1, 2001. 9781584650034.
- News: A Complete Establishment. The New Store of Wechsler & Abraham in Brooklyn. June 12, 2017. The New York Times. January 10, 1885.
- Book: Abelow, Samuel Philip . History of Brooklyn Jewry. 281–283 . Scheba Publishing Company. 1937. 9781419608353 .
- https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1938/05/27/issue.html Obituary
- Web site: Obituary: Simon P. Rothschild . The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 6, 1936 . He was the husband of the late Lillian Abraham Rothschild and father of the late Howard Rothschild. Funeral services will be held tomorrow at 10 a m. in the Beth-El Chapel of Temple Emanu-El..
- Book: Brooklyn Life, Volume 51. 1915. 112 .
- Web site: Edward Charles Blum is well known throughout the business world as a member of the house of Abraham & Straus, Brooklyn . Brooklyn Life. June 1, 1915 . In 1894 Mr. Blum married Miss Florence Abraham, daughter of the founder of the firm of Abraham & Straus, and they have two children, Alice I. and Robert Edward Blum.
- News: Edward Blum Dies, Noted Merchant . The Brooklyn Eagle. November 21, 1946.
- Web site: Straus, Percy Selden, 1876–1944 . The Frick Collection – Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America. June 4, 2018.
