Frederick August Otto Schwarz
Encyclopedia
Frederick August Otto Schwarz (October 18, 1836 – May 17, 1911) was a toy retailer who started FAO Schwarz.
, Westphalia
, Germany
, and immigrated in 1856 with his three brothers: Henry, Richard, and Gustav. He worked for a Baltimore
stationery importer. German exporters sometimes packed toys and other items in with the stationery in the hope of expanding their exports. Schwarz put the toys in the store window, and they outsold the stationery. By 1862 he had switched to selling the toys from his own shop, and in 1870 he moved his business to Manhattan
. He married Caroline Clausen (1841-?). Together they had three sons and three daughters: Anna Schwarz (1863-?); Ida Schwarz (1865-?); Henry Schwarz (1867-?); Frederick Schwarz (1868-?); and Emilie Schwarz (1870-?). Frederick August Otto Schwarz died on May 17, 1911.
Biography
He was born in 1836 at HerfordHerford
Herford is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the lowlands between the hill chains of the Wiehen Hills and the Teutoburg Forest. It is the capital of the district of Herford.- Geographic location :...
, Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and immigrated in 1856 with his three brothers: Henry, Richard, and Gustav. He worked for a Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
stationery importer. German exporters sometimes packed toys and other items in with the stationery in the hope of expanding their exports. Schwarz put the toys in the store window, and they outsold the stationery. By 1862 he had switched to selling the toys from his own shop, and in 1870 he moved his business to Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. He married Caroline Clausen (1841-?). Together they had three sons and three daughters: Anna Schwarz (1863-?); Ida Schwarz (1865-?); Henry Schwarz (1867-?); Frederick Schwarz (1868-?); and Emilie Schwarz (1870-?). Frederick August Otto Schwarz died on May 17, 1911.