Levison Brothers / California Jewelry Co. San Francisco facts for kids
Levison Brothers / California Jewelry Co. was a famous company that made and sold jewelry. It was open from 1859 to 1935. The company started in 1859 in San Francisco, California.
By 1871, they had a big building on Sutter Street. It had two floors and was filled with machines. These machines helped them make beautiful jewelry.
Levison Brothers sold many fancy items. They imported watches, diamonds, and other jewelry. They also sold solid silverware, cutlery, clocks, and opera glasses. The company was known for making its own fine jewelry. They even cut diamonds right there in their building! You can still find some old watch cases today that say "Levison Bros." or "LB."
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Special Gold Jewelry
One special thing Levison Brothers made was jewelry using California gold. They often used gold quartz and moss agate in their designs. These items were very popular in the 1800s.
They made many things like chains, pins, lockets, rings, and thimbles. They also made solid gold belt buckles. One of their belt buckles is even in the New York Metropolitan Museum! A worker named William Cummings got a patent for a special buckle design in 1868. Not many of these unique pieces are left today.
Making Gold Coins
For one year in 1871, Levison Brothers made small gold coins. These coins had an "L" stamp for Levison. They used gold found right in California. The company bought another business to keep making these coins. However, the government soon tried to stop their production. Even after that, a former employee kept making the coins for a few more years. These small gold coins were mostly made as souvenirs.
The Levison Family Business
Herman Levison was a very rich man when he passed away in 1896. He was well-known in business circles in the United States and Europe. He was very generous in helping smaller businesses.
Herman had a home in Hamburg, Germany, and another in San Francisco. He often hosted big parties. His wife and three children lived in Germany. His son, Louis Oscar Levison, grew up in Europe. Louis Oscar later became a partner in the company after his father died.
The Company's Main Building
The main building for Levison Brothers was at 132, 134, and 136 Sutter Street in San Francisco. The company partners designed and built it themselves. It was a three-story building with a basement. It had special machines for cutting gems. Mr. Cullen was the head of jewelry design there.
Other businesses also rented space in the building. W.K. Vanderslice & Co. was a famous silversmith company. They made beautiful sterling silver items from this location starting around 1873. There is an old photo of this building online. But the "Levison Brothers" sign was removed from the picture.
Key Family Members in the Business
Several members of the Levison family worked for the company:
- Louis Levison (1827-1901): He was one of the two brothers who came from Germany. He helped run the company as a partner.
- Herman Levison (1831-1896): He was the other brother and the head of the business. He also came from Germany and was a partner.
- Louis Oscar Levison (1870-1953): He was Herman Levison's son. He became a partner after his father died in 1896. He worked for the company until it closed in 1935.
- Walter Herman Levison (1904-1997): He was Louis Oscar Levison's son. He was the company secretary from 1927 to 1929. He also worked there until it closed in 1935.
The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire
The business was doing very well until 1906. That year, a huge earthquake and fire hit San Francisco. The Levison Brothers building was completely destroyed.
The only things that survived were the diamonds and jewelry. They were stored in a very large, strong safe. The safe fell three floors through the burning building. It landed deep in the basement, stuck between steel beams.
The safe was very hot from the fire. Workers had to wait two weeks for it to cool down. Then, they dug a big hole around it to open the door. Everyone was very excited! The inner doors of the safe had stayed shut. Inside, the diamonds and jewelry were perfectly safe.
The Levisons quickly hid their valuable items. They took them across San Francisco Bay by boat. This was before bridges were built. They hid the treasures at family homes on Belvedere Island and in Mill Valley, California. The old house on Belvedere Island is still there today!
See also
- California gold coinage
- Fractional currency (United States)
- History of San Francisco
