The history of the prominent jewelry firm of Texas “Joseph Linz & Bros” began 1877, founded by Joseph A Linz (1853 – 1908). For more than a hundred years of its activity, the Linz company also had alternative names – Linz Bros and Linz Jewelists.

Born in Virginia, Joseph Linz was the eldest of five brothers. After receiving his education in the public schools of St. Louis, he began his career in the jewelry firm of Goldsall. In 1877 Joseph Linz, with $750 in savings, bought the modest store in Denison, Texas and started in business for himself.
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The history of the David Grad Company for the manufacture of costume jewelry began in 1936 and lasted more than two decades. Its founder was David Grad who established the eponymous firm with the head office at 303 Fifth Avenue in New York City, and 920 Merchandise Mart, Chicago.

From the very beginning, the company worked with wholesalers, offering them a wide selection of rhinestone jewelry. Already at the end of 1941, David Grad began placing advertisements for his jewelry – necklaces, pins, bracelets, bowknots, coat sprays set in finest-cut imported stones.
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It’s rare to see a jeweler’s self-portrait, executed not in paint on canvas, but as a gold jewelry piece. Such jewelry masterpiece was created by Edward W Flanagan (1906-1983), an artist, designer, and jeweler living in Naples, Florida. It took him a month to create this piece, in honor of the 10th anniversary of his shop, Edward Flanagan Jewelers, 247 Worth Avenue, Palm Beach.

Edward Flanagan and his wife, Shirley, opened their jewelry shop in 1953, and ran the jewelry boutique together, as it was their family business. Florida native, Shirley Eleanor Flanagan (1913 – 1971) married Edward W Flanagan, who was born in Ohio, in 1936. They had one daughter, Shirley G Flanagan, born in 1943.
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Louis Barton Brookov (1886 – 1955) was a second-generation jeweler who specialized in exclusive diamond jewelry. His family immigrated from Russia to America in the late 19th century. Brookov founded his jewelry business in New York City in 1905, when he was 19 years old. He rented space in a newly constructed commercial building at 250 Grand Street, New York City.

In 1911, his workshop, consisting of a small team of jewelers, moved to a separate, larger space at 254 Grand Avenue. He made significant modifications to his commercial premises, increasing the space. A professional diamond setter, he offered jewelry restoration, manufacturing, and diamond setting services.
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Unjustly forgotten, Nathan Koslow (1898 – 1958) was a nationally-known jewelry designer and manufacturer of fabulous jewelry. He founded Nat Koslow Inc in 1934 and headed the firm bearing his name until his sudden death in 1958. The firm was located at 42 W. 48th St of 737 Park Avenue, New York.

Masterpieces of the jeweler’s art were designed in the Koslow workshop, which was an integral part of all their salons. Fabulous necklaces, bracelets, brooches and other glittering accessories featured glittering diamonds in smart interpretations.
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Charles M Fuller (1863 – 1948) and his son Milton A Fuller (1895 – 1965) organized the Milton A Fuller, Inc, in 1933. They opened jewelry stores at 124 W. Adams Street, Jacksonville, and at 236 Worth Avenue, Palm Beach, Florida. According to 1933 ad, their store in Palm Beach was the most beautiful jewelry boutique in the world.

Before opening their jewelry firm Charles and Milton had worked for the renowned jewelry company Greenleaf & Crosby in Jacksonville. Charles Fuller, who had been with Greenleaf & Crosby since 1877, later acquired the original owners’ stake and became president of Greenleaf & Crosby Co. Milton Fuller had been vice-president of Greenleaf & Crosby for seven years.
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Frank S Hartley, a renowned European jeweler of the 1930s, moved to the United States at the start of World War II. In 1939, he rented space for his jewelry store on East 57th Street in Manhattan, New York City. The luxurious store, bearing the sign “Frank S Hartley,” and the exquisite jewelry sold there immediately attracted the attention of wealthy customers.

Walking through Frank S. Hartley’s jewelry store, one could notice many highly original ideas in jewelry design. Miniature gold baskets, interwoven with platinum and adorned with rubies and diamonds, could be worn as brooches or earrings. Hartley had an original collection of jewelry featuring Ceylon sapphires, emeralds, and rubies.
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