Belber is a heritage American leather goods company founded in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

in 1891.

History

Foundation

The Belber company was established in 1891 when two school-age brothers, Aaron and Henry Belber, scraped together $200 and started making luggage in a

South Philadelphia South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south and the Schuylkill River to the west. The Belber brothers opened a first factory in 1903. The Belber brothers were soon joined by their 2 other brothers, Herman and Maurice. In 1919, the Belber Trunk and Bag Company acquired the Oshkosh Trunk Company and became one of the world's biggest manufacturers of traveling goods. In 1920, the company purchased the Larkin Building on Arch Street in

to house its main office, a factory and a salesroom. In addition, Belber built a national network of production, distribution and direct sales which by 1926 included manufacturing plants at Woodbury and Newark,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, and Oshkosh,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, as well as branch warehouses and offices in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. The Belber Trunk and Bag Company continued its expansion by acquiring the Schmit Bros. Trunk Company (which included the Eagle Trunk Company) in 1926"Billhead of the Month: Schmit Bros trunks Oshkosh WI".
The Ephemera of Business Blog. March 22, 2011 and the trunkmakers

Innovation Innovation is the practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of new goods or services or improvement in offering goods or services. ISO TC 279 in the standard ISO 56000:2020 defines innovation as "a new or changed entity ...

and Neverbreak in the 1930s. In 1930, Belber moved its headquarters to

Woodbury, New Jersey Woodbury is the county seat of Gloucester County, New Jersey, Gloucester County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the South Jersey region of the state.

, into a building that used to house the Blasius piano factory. In 1947, Belber closed its plant in

and transferred all its activities to

Woodbury, New Jersey Woodbury is the county seat of Gloucester County, New Jersey, Gloucester County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the South Jersey region of the state.

. In the 1950s, Belber starts to lose momentum with the development of air travel and eventually went dormant in the middle of the 1970s. In 2013, a group of entrepreneurs acquires Belber from with plans to revive the brand. In early 2016, a new collection of bags and accessories is launched.

Products

In the

roaring twenties The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the U ...

, Belber's trunks, suitcases, and collapsible silk cord hangers were symbols of luxury travel. The Belber brothers were determined to revolutionize the idea of the journey, developing a “luggage consciousness” to influence customers that the bag was just as important as what went inside it. People began to want to look good when they traveled, and only the extremely wealthy could afford to do so during this period. However, with the production of Belber goods, the concept of "traveling in style" was made accessible to ordinary consumers.

Innovations and patents

Between 1907 and 1935, Belber registered up to 80 patents in the US for various technical product innovations. Some of the exclusive and patented Belber devices included the "Belber Safe Lock" enabling an easy opening and closing of the trunk, the "Belber Curtain Follower" (attached to the back of the trunk and holding firmly in place the garments by a rod inserted into a graduated ratchet), and multiple Drawer Locking Devices. Belber advertised in nationally circulated magazines, touting its luggage as "as modern as tomorrow."

Advertising

The Belber brothers were all about showing America that a bag was all about personality and they did this by spreading the word through illustrated magazine and newspaper ads. Early precursors to the advertising heyday of Madison Avenue, the Belber advertisements were just as much about the American dream of social mobility as they were about how to live and dress well. Belber ads were written to be inspirational and aspirational. “With vision and expectancy, your travel plans are born. Matched with magnificence, superbly designed Belber canvas and leather bound luggage gives stately expression to your travel luxury,” reads one for Belber’s luggage ads. “Your trunk is brought to your room. You unlock it. Swing it open. There, all your clothes fresh and dainty as when you put them in. Everything in its place, nothing missed. No unpacking to do, no trouble at all. You are at home and settled at once,” promises another from the 1920s. In the 1940s, to advertise its new collections, the Belber brothers also helped invent the concept of product tie-ins and product placement, partnering with Hollywood Stars such as

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985. He is remembered for his Academy Award and Cannes Film Festival Award-winning ...

in the movie

The Big Clock (film) ''The Big Clock'' is a 1948 American film noir directed by John Farrow and adapted by novelist-screenwriter Jonathan Latimer from the 1946 novel of the same title by Kenneth Fearing. The black-and-white film is set in New York City, and stars ...

and

Alan Ladd Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and film producer. Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in films noir and Westerns. He was often paired with Veronica Lake ...

in the movie

Saigon (1948 film) ''Saigon'' is a 1948 American crime film directed by Leslie Fenton starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. In their fourth and final film together. It was distributed by Paramount Pictures and was one of the last films Veronica Lake made under her ...

The Belber Building

Belber occupied the Larkin-Belber Building from 1920 to 1947. It was a large industrial facility with 4,430,000 cubic feet and 295,360 square feet of floor space on twelve floors located at 22nd St and Arch St in

. ''Note:'' This includes Belber operated a showroom and a store on the first floor of the building while the rail spur off the

Schuylkill Expressway The Schuylkill Expressway , locally known as "the Schuylkill", is a Controlled-access highway, freeway through southern Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Montgomery County and the city of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, Philade ...

linked the firm to its national market. The firm hired local architect Leroy Berman Rothschild to place Belber's own stamp on the building. Rothshild designed large rooftop signs placed along the sides of the building. In its architecture as well as its integration of manufacturing, office work, and retail functions, the Belber Building represented a "landmark of twentieth century commerce and industry."

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official Brand Website
* Video on the history of Belbe

Luggage manufacturers Leather goods Luggage brands American brands Fashion accessory companies Luxury brands Manufacturing companies based in Pennsylvania Manufacturing companies established in 1891 Bags (fashion) 2010s fashion 1891 establishments in Pennsylvania