Dempsey & Carroll
Some of you may have heard of Dempsey & Carroll, they have been creating elegant stationery for prominent people since the 1800s. I knew the former owner, George Ward, and even did a few art pieces for him that has actually been used on some of their cards.
Anyway, recently I was making a call to Dempsey & Carroll to speak with George Ward and was surprised to find out that he died a year and a half ago! Here is some of what happened:
QUOTE (Researched by LDS_forever) |
"But before Ms. Marrus invests in real estate, she needs to finish putting the company's affairs in order. Last year, its previous owner, George Ward, a respected figure in the engraving business, became seriously ill and abruptly shut down all operations, including an expensive new boutique on Madison Avenue and an engraving plant in Baltimore. Before that, the company had been healthy, with an estimated $5 million in annual sales. When Ms. Marrus arrived to tour the plant, she found it in disarray. Hundreds of copper and steel engraving plates and stationery samples were scattered everywhere. Stacked near the press were invitations for June events. It was July. "I was debating whether I should buy it, and my husband said I would never be able to forgive myself if I didn't," said Ms. Marrus, a fan of Dempsey & Carroll since she treated herself to a box of its engraved correspondence sheets in 1993. "He was right." She spent less than $5 million to buy the business with backing from private investors, declining to provide the exact amount. She bought the company name, trademarks, customer files and dealer lists." https://www.dempseyandcarroll.com/custom.aspx?id=11 "Dempsey & Carroll, a stationer that dates back to the 1870s and a favorite of socialites, has abruptly shut its New York store, leaving virtually no information about its future. The company closed its shop at 1058 Madison Ave. late last month, less than two years after relocating there from 110 E. 57th St., where it had been based for more than 75 years. A landlord representative for the Madison Avenue shop, Dori Sedransk, vice president of David Frankel Realty, said the stationer left with no notice. The 1,044-square-foot shop was located at a prime corner space at East 80th Street. Dempsey & Carroll, based in Baltimore, appears to have shut down entirely. Its Web site is no longer in operation. The store�s voicemail box is too full to take new messages, and several messages left at the company's headquarters in Baltimore were not returned. Company President George Ward did not return calls seeking comment. "They were a venerable company in New York," says Paul Donaher, chief operating officer at another upscale stationer, Mrs. John L. Strong Co., at 699 Madison Ave. "I was just as surprised as anybody that they were closed." https://www.thehighline.org/press/articles/082902_crainsny/ |
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