Straus family papers

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Description: The Straus family of New York City were the descendants of Lazarus Straus (1809-1898) and Sara Straus (1823-1876) who emigrated from Otterberg, Germany in the early 1850s with their four children: Isidor (1845-1912), Hermine (1846-1922), Nathan (1848-1931), and Oscar (1850-1926). They settled in Talbotton, Georgia where Lazarus opened a dry goods store. In 1865 the Strauses relocated to New York City and Isidor and Nathan joined their father in establishing L. Straus and Sons, a glass and chinaware store. They became partners with R.H. Macy's & Company in 1888 and by 1892 were also partners in the Brooklyn N.Y. retail company Abraham & Straus. Isidor Straus represented New York City's fifteenth district in the U.S. Congress, 1893-1894; and was founder and president of the Educational Alliance, an organization for immigrants living in New York. He and his wife were among the passengers who lost their lives in the sinking of the Titanic. Oscar Straus served as U.S. ambassador to Turkey from 1887 to 1900 and 1909, Secretary of Commerce and Labor from 1906 to 1908, and advisor to Woodrow Wilson during the first World War. Collection contains correspondence, speeches, photographs, scrapbooks, and other items concerning Lazarus, Oscar and Isidor Straus, and Isidor's sons and grandsons. Family papers include genealogical charts and family history. Oscar and Isidor Straus papers consist of one box of materials concerning Oscar Straus's 1912 campaign for governor of New York and other political and family matters; the remaining eleven boxes are papers of Isidor Straus and include family and business correspondence, speeches and writings, notebooks, scrapbooks, materials related to his political career and to his death on the Titanic, and biographical information. Papers of Isidor Straus's sons consist of personal and business papers with correspondence, speeches, scrapbooks, and clippings. L. Straus & Sons records concern the operations of the partnership. Also, photographs of Jack Straus (son of Jesse Straus) and members of his family, framed documents and other materials that belonged to Jack Straus.
Names: Strauss family (Creator); Straus, Herbert, 1881-1933 (Author); Straus, Isidor, 1845-1912 (Author); Straus, Jack (Contributor); Straus, Jesse Isidor, 1872-1936 (Author); Straus, Oscar S. (Oscar Solomon), 1850-1926 (Author); Straus, Percy, 1876-1944 (Author); Straus, Robert K. (Author); Viener, Saul (Author); Straus, Isidor, 1845-1912 (Collector); Straus, Jesse Isidor, 1872-1936 (Addressee); Straus, Oscar S. (Oscar Solomon), 1850-1926 (Addressee)
Dates / Origin: Date Created: 1810 - 1962
Library locations: Manuscripts and Archives Division; Shelf locator: MssCol 2905
Topics: Ceramic tableware; Glassware; Retail trade -- Management; Merchants; Philanthropists; New York (State) -- Politics and government -- 1865-1950; United States -- Politics and government -- 1865-1933; Strauss family; Macy's (Firm); Titanic (Steamship); Straus, Herbert, 1881-1933; Straus, Isidor, 1845-1912; Straus, Jack; Straus, Lazarus, 1809-1898; Straus, Oscar S. (Oscar Solomon), 1850-1926; Straus, Percy, 1876-1944; Straus, Sara, 1823-1876
Genres: Photographs; Prints; Scrapbooks
Notes: Biographical/historical: The Straus Family Papers document the lives and careers of the descendants of Lazarus Straus (1809-1898) and Sara Straus (1823-1876), who came to the United States from Otterberg, Germany, in the early 1850s with their four children, Isidor (1845-1912), Hermine (1846-1922), Nathan (1848-1931), and Oscar (1850-1926). The family settled in Talbotton, Georgia, where Lazarus opened a dry goods store. In 1865, the Strauses relocated to New York City, and Isidor and Nathan joined their father in establishing L. Straus and Sons, a glass and chinaware store. Their successful management of a similar department in one of R. H. Macy's & Company's stores led to their becoming partners in that firm in 1888. By 1892 they were also partners in the Brooklyn retail company Abraham & Straus. Isidor Straus's interest in tariff reform and related legislation led to his successful run for congress from New York's fifteenth district in 1893. He was also a founder and president of the Educational Alliance, an organization for newly-arrived immigrants living on New York's Lower East Side. In April 1912, Isidor and his wife, the former Ida Blun, were among the passengers who lost their lives in the sinking of the Titanic. Isidor's refusal to board a lifeboat before any of the younger men and Ida's decision to remain with her husband were widely noted by the press and the general public for the courage and unselfishness they exemplified. During the 1880s, Nathan Straus became increasingly interested in philanthropic work, and in 1890 established a system for pasteurizing milk and distributing it to poor families in New York City. A dedicated Zionist, he visited Palestine five times between 1904 and 1927, and contributed substantially to charities there. Oscar Straus, an 1873 alumnus of Columbia University's law school, turned to politics in 1882, working for the re-election of William Grace as mayor of New York City, and participating in Grover Cleveland's presidential campaign in 1884. In 1887, Cleveland appointed him U. S. ambassador to Turkey, a post he held until 1900, and to which he was re-appointed by President Taft in 1909. Oscar Straus was Theodore Roosevelt's Secretary of Commerce and Labor from 1906 to 1908 and an advisor to Woodrow Wilson during the first World War. Isidor's sons, Jesse (1872-1936), Percy (1876-1944), and Herbert (1881-1933), worked for Macy's until retirement. A small amount of material in these papers pertains to them as well.; Content: The Straus Family Papers consist of personal and business correspondence, scrapbooks, photographs, and other items pertaining to Lazarus, Oscar, and Isidor Straus, and Isidor's sons and grandsons. Materials range from the 1810s to the 1970s, with the bulk originating in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.; Content: Nathan Straus Papers (13 linear feet) are located in Rare Books & Manuscripts Division, New York Public Library; Ownership: Most of the papers seem to have belonged to Isidor Straus, who apparently kept many of his personal papers in his office at Macy's. After his unexpected death in 1912, the materials eventually were transferred to the store's in-house archives. Other items may have belonged to his sons, Jesse and Percy. In the early 1990s, Macy's deaccessioned these papers and gave them to the New York Public Library.; Acquisition: Gift of Macy's Department Store, 1992; Content: Processing information: Compiled by Laura K. O'Keefe, June 1994
Physical Description: Extent: 9 linear feet (25 boxes)
Type of Resource: Text; Still image
Identifiers: NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b11996386; MSS Unit ID: 2905; Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 0a910f80-b662-0139-fed2-0242ac110005

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Straus family papers

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