Posted by Gary Lease on November 11, 2007, 11:52 pm, in reply to "Re: who was V.L. & A.?"
Many thanks, gentlemen, for putting me on the right track! We are indeed dealing with:
Von Lengerke & Antoine, a sporting goods store in Chicago (corner of Wabash and Van Buren)
One can purchase reprints of several of their catalogs (#38 from 1911, for example, or #71 from 1927; etc.). Seems that this store was a branch of Von Lengerke & Detmold in New York. When Abercrombie & Fitch (founded 1892) bought V.L. & Detmold in 1928, V.L. & Antoine became part of the Abercrombie empire, or more accurately, a subsidiary of Abercrombie. V.L. & Antoine continued doing business under its own name until 1959, however.
Interesting sidelight: Bob Newhart, he of the "button-down comedy" routines and t.v. shows, once worked in the Chicago V.L. & Antoine (1957) and has a very amusing account of his adventures there (published a couple of years ago in the L.A. Times).
V.L. & Antoine was also known as one of the 3 main places where gangland Chicago acquired its weapons.
But like Abercrombie, V.L. & Antoine was also known as a source of fine European and American guns, especially shotguns. So it is not surprising that Smiths were made part of their inventory. It would be interesting to know if any of the sales records from the store are available?