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One Hundred Years Ago...
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The
Marcus Brothers
(L to R) Carl, Charles, Sam, David, Abraham, Morris |
The two eldest of the six Marcus brothers founded the company
in 1911, and were later joined by their younger brothers. With
its headquarters at 8183 Franklin Street in New York City,
eventually the business grew to include sales offices in
Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas. Each brother responsible for a
particular task from sales to accounting, and operations ran
smoothly, at a time when communications were limited to the
telephone and daily mail! In its early stages, Marcus' role was
buying & selling textiles to the cutting trade.
Business continued to evolve, and Marcus began to design and
convert its own goods, selling fabrics to the home sewing
departments of big-time retailers such as Sears and J.C. Penney.
In 1925, Prince Charming Cloth became the company's first
trademarked product. Even during the Great Depression, Marcus
Brothers weathered the economic storm through careful management
of the business.
Marcus Brothers Textiles moved uptown to 41 Worth Street,
establishing itself in what was then New York's Textile
District. Its converting operations began with New England
mills; during the post-Depression era, and soon after, the
company produced fabrics in the South as well. Knits, solids and
prints lines were developed for women's and children's apparel
manufacturing.
In 1967, Marcus launched its retail division, under the brand
name of Cottontail Fabrics. Twenty years later, Marcus became
the first fabric company to create reproduction fabrics for
quilters, in conjunction with quilt historian and collector
Judie Rothermel. Marcus enjoys its distinction as the industry's
first source for 1930's reproductions under the Aunt Grace
brand. It's in the home sewing and quilting arena that Marcus
still maintains its greatest success today. The mid-1980s marked
the company's first ventures into overseas production, when its
employees began to travel to China, Japan and Korea to source
cottons and flannels.
From its beginning in 1911, the company's attention to detail
continues today, as Marcus products can now be found in quilt
and fabric shops worldwide. Marcus maintains its well-earned
reputation in the industry through its creative goals and high
standards of quality and service. In Fall 2007, the brand name
of Marcus Brothers became Marcus Fabrics, reflecting the
company's specialization and its dedication to the quilting
industry.
Marcus is especially proud and excited about its recent
collaborations with museums, to not only bring beautiful
reproduction fabrics to the discerning quilter, but to also
support the work of these museums in the area of quilt and
textile preservation. By providing promotional avenues as well
as financial support for such organizations as Old Sturbridge
Village and New England Quilt Museum, Marcus Fabrics furthers
its mission to preserve the traditions of quilting over the
centuries.
In an environment where every theme, pattern, texture and color
becomes a creative statement, enthusiasts choose Marcus fabrics
as the centerpiece of their crafts, quilts, wearable art,
apparel and home decor. Marcus' own studio designs also bring to
life the creative concepts of award-winning design leaders like
reproduction fabric expert Judie Rothermel, who marked 20 years
in the industry in 2007.
In addition to the Retail Division's focus on over-the counter
quilting & fabric shops, the company also produces a range
of fabrics for the apparel, accessories & home décor
markets under the corporate name of Marcus Brothers. |
