Spiegel catalog
Spiegel was an American direct marketing retailer founded in 1865 by Joseph Spiegel. Spiegel published a catalog, like its competitors Sears and Montgomery Ward, which advertised various brands of apparel, accessories, and footwear, as well a ...
, a
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
veteran, the younger brother of Union Army Colonel
Marcus M. Spiegel
Marcus M. Spiegel (December 8, 1829 – May 4, 1864) was one of the highest ranking Jewish officers in the U.S. Army during the American Civil War. He served in the 67th and 120th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. During the course of the war he bec ...
, and
patriarch
The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...
of the Spiegel family.
Biography
Spiegel was born to a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family, the son of Regina (née Greenebaum) and Moses Spiegel, a
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
. In September of 1848, his family (himself, three sisters, and his parents) immigrated from Germany to the United States via France, fleeing growing anti-Jewish sentiment, revolutionary turmoil, and the fear that the government would punish them for the revolutionary activities of their firstborn son Marcus Spiegel, who had participated in an unsuccessful uprising against government troops in the state of
Baden
Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine.
History
The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden is ...
with
Franz Sigel
Franz Sigel (November 18, 1824 – August 21, 1902) was a German American military officer, revolutionary and immigrant to the United States who was a teacher, newspaperman, politician, and served as a Union major general in the American Civil W ...
's liberal-democratic Landsturm regiment. They settled in the Jewish community on the
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets.
Traditionally an im ...
of Manhattan where his father Moses sold needles, thread, and cloth. His mother died in 1849 and his father reverted to being a rabbi and teacher. His brother – who the family thought was dead – immigrated to the United States in 1849 but soon moved to Chicago, as did two of his sisters: Sarah Spiegel married Michael Greenebaum, the owner of a chain of hardware stores in Chicago; and Theresa Spiegel married Henry Liebenstein, a successful Chicago furniture merchant, in 1865.
Joseph Spiegel worked as an apprentice in several retail stores in New York until 1862, and in 1863 he enlisted in the 120th Ohio Volunteers. He served in General Ulysses S. Grant's army in Louisiana where he acted as
sutler
A sutler or victualer is a civilian merchant who sells provisions to an army in the field, in camp, or in quarters. Sutlers sold wares from the back of a wagon or a temporary tent, traveling with an army or to remote military outposts. Sutler wago ...
to his brother's regiment, witnessed his brother's death in battle, and was later captured and sent to the prisoner of war camp at Fort Camp, Texas, where he remained until May 1865. He returned to Chicago where he entered the furniture business with his brother-in-law, opening a small furniture shop on Wabash Avenue named ''J. Spiegel and Company'' which sold Liebenstein furniture. In 1870, he assumed control of the Liebenstein business after marrying Liebenstein's niece, Mathilde Liebenstein. The
Chicago Fire of 1871
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 1 ...
destroyed his business, although he was able to quickly restart since most of his inventory had been stored at his undamaged house, which led to a boom as fire victims needed to repurchase furniture. In 1886, his sons, Modie and Sidney, joined the business. In the 1890s, as wealthy clientele moved to the suburbs and were replaced by immigrants, Spiegel shifted the company's strategy from selling high-quality furniture on a cash-only basis to cheaper furniture on credit. In 1903, his son
Arthur
Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...
joined the business and Spiegel started their
mail order
Mail order is the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote methods such as:
* Sending an order form in the mail
* Placing a telephone call
* Placing a ...
catalog business, becoming the first company to sell furniture by mail. By 1925, the fashion and furniture retailer had 10 million customers.
Personal life
Spiegel married Mathilde Lebenstein, the niece of his business partner, Henry Leibenstein. They had three sons, Modie Spiegel (b. 1871), Sidney Spiegel (b. 1872), and
Arthur Spiegel
Arthur Henry Spiegel I was a Chicago mail-order businessman and early American film studio executive.
Biography
Spiegel was the youngest son of Jewish businessman Joseph Spiegel, founder of the Spiegel Home Furnishings merchandising house b ...
(b. 1884), and three daughters. His son Sidney married the model
Fay Lanphier
Fay Elinora Lanphier (December 12, 1905 – June 21, 1959) was an American model and actress most noted for winning the title of Miss Santa Cruz in 1924 and then Miss California and Miss America in 1925.
Early life
Lanphier was born in El ...
. His grandson, Sidney M. Spiegel Jr. co-founded the Essaness Theatres chain with
Edwin Silverman
Edwin Silverman (1898 – February 12, 1970) was an American businessman who co-founded the Essaness Theatres chain and founded WSNS-TV.
Biography
Silverman was born to a Jewish family in Chicago.Paul Cowan, was a noted journalist, and another great-grandson,
Geoffrey Cowan
Geoffrey Cowan is an American lawyer, professor, author, and non-profit executive. He is currently a University Professor at the University of Southern California, where he holds the Annenberg Family Chair in Communication Leadership and directs ...