Klauber Laces, 114 E. 32nd St. (2007)

Peeping out over the sidewalk bridge were these windows for Klauber Bros., lace importers, who had been in business at this address for almost sixty years prior to the renovations in 2007. Actually, this was the second instance of Klauber Bros. The earlier Klauber Bros. ran from approx. 1892 until 1926. The brothers in this earlier company were David Klauber (1852-d. bet. 1905 & 1910) and Samuel Klauber (1856-1922). These original Klaubers were natives of Friedrichshof, Austria (probably a town in Bohemia (now Czech Republic), rather than the current Friedrichshof, Austria, which is located about 50 km. southeast of Vienna).

David Klauber seems to have been in business in New York earliest: as David Klauber, embroideries and laces, from 1892. From 1899 to 1907 David Klauber had a partnership with Michael Horn, Klauber, Horn & Co.. The business name changed to Klauber Bros. in 1907. Samuel Klauber is listed as a member of Klauber, Horn & Co. in 1904. In 1908 second generation Klaubers joined Klauber Bros.: Arthur Klauber (1882-1952) and Leonard Eugene Klauber (1883-1962). Arthur Klauber was David's son, and Leonard E. Klauber was Samuel's son. By 1910 Leonard's brother, Alfred Samter Klauber (1885-1949), also joined. A little later, Edward Klauber (1889-1959) and Murray Klauber (1891-1965), two more of David Klauber's sons, were involved in the company. This succession of letterheads describe Klauber Bros. products and addresses in 1920, 1922 and 1924.

In 1926 this business closed. In the U. S. Census of 1930 only Leonard Klauber listed his occupation as "laces." Alfred, Arthur and Edward Klauber appear in this census as stock brokers.

But Klauber Bros. was reborn in 1943. This company was founded (according to his death notice, New York Times, 6 March 1999) by Ludwig Klauber (1900-1999), and his brothers were Ernest Klauber (1891-1961) and Fred Klauber (1897-1968). I have not been able to establish a direct relationship with this generation of Klaubers with the Klaubers of the prior (1892-1926) business. This generation all seem to have been born in Munich, Germany, and to have immigrated to the U. S. late in life. Naturalization records show that Ludwig Klauber became a citizen, age 41, in 1941. Fred Klauber was naturalized in 1944. And Ernest Klauber was naturalized in 1945. Passenger lists for transatlantic ships have both Ludwig and Ernest arriving at the port of New York in 1939. Ernest was accompanied by his wife and son. They were possibly leaving Europe at this time.

Klauber Bros. moved here to 114 E. 32nd St. in 1948. They were still in business here in 2002, and possibly closed only shortly before this photo was taken (2007).

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