Harold E. Hamblen, Inc., 62-64 9th Ave. at 15th St. (1986)

The sign claims "established 1900," but the first listing for a Harold Hamblen "fish" in the New York city directories occurs in 1916. This was the wholesale fish market for Harold Edwin Hamblen (1892-1984) located at 1614 2nd Ave.

Hamblen appears in the US Census for 1930 as Harold Hamblen age 38 born New Jersey and living at 43 Courter Ave., Maplewood, NJ with his wife Irene age 36 and sons Wesley 9 and Harold Jr. 2. His business is described as "wholesale sea food."

The business moved to 1st Ave. in 1925, and then to the address above on 9th Ave. at the corner of 15th St. 20 years later in 1945. In 1966 they left this location for the South Street Seaport area where they stayed in business until the mid-1970s.

The sign, then, dates between 1945 and 1966.

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