I bet you thought this was going to be a picture of Rich and Robbie, but is actually a photo of Anthony, Ludwig and Gerhardt Schmelzer (youngest to oldest, left to right).  My Granddad Ludwig was born in 1902 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, so I’m guessing this photo is from maybe around 1919.  This is a ‘touched up’ version, where I tried to fix some of the damage done to the picture.  My Great Uncle Gerhardt was also known as Gerald Schmelzer. Another find from the family archives.

My Great-Grandfather Anton Schmelzer ran a business in Brooklyn back in the 1910s to 1930s.  My Grandfather Ludwig is listed as the Manager on the company letterhead of the confectionary and luncheonette. Recently my Dad and I were going over some historical documents in the family archives, and I came across some items that I’m posting images of here.  I would love to find a photograph of the business. I did find a notebook with many of the family candy recipes in it (which I will not be posting, as they are obviously ‘secret’).

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Here is an aerial photo of Livingston Street from the Brooklyn Public library collection, circa 1927, when Schmelzers’ Inc. would have been in operation:

These days they are still making sandwiches at that location, but it doesn't look like they offer "Home-made Chocolates", "Spumoni" or "Bisque Tortoni", but maybe they do sell "Bon-Bons, Hard Kandies, Salted Nuts, American and French, and Ice Creams".  Also, it would appear they offer "Dominican" style sandwiches now.  In the Google StreetView photo below, you can see they they show "The New Way N.Y. Deli" is now at that same address.

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It may be, though, that Google needs to update their image already, because the current business listing at that address is ... wait for it ... another sandwich place! Yelp says the Livingston Deli is now at that address:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/livingston-deli-inc-brooklyn

I also found a document for 'A. Schmelzer - Confectioner', which has a preprinted date of '191_', which tells us this business was open before the luncheonette.  The address for that business is in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn, as opposed to Flatbush.

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The Brooklyn Public Library has a photo of "73rd Street (unpaved) looking west from 3rd Ave".  This photo is dated (190-?), which likely puts it before my Great-Granfather was there.

And Brooklynpix.com has this photo of 79th Street and 3rd Avenue, dated 1918, which certainly gives a feel for what it would have looked like 6 blocks closer to downtown at 73rd Street.

Here is a photo of that address as it is today.

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My Grandfather Ludwig went on to work in the food industry until his retirement. 

Update:

Susan has two related blog post's, which you can read here.  She actually went to the city to look for the business.  Thanks, Susan!

http://actjustly.blogspot.com/2008/04/schmelzer-inc-part-two.html
http://actjustly.blogspot.com/2008/04/schmelzer-inc.html

Monica and Randy wrote an article on Ethics and Localization that was published in MultiLingual Magazine.  You can check out the magazine at http://www.multilingual.com.  Subscriptions, either in print or to the digital magazine, are also available.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving

Business Focus

The Localization of Ethics
RANDALL STIEGHORST & MONICA MARCEL

When, if ever, is it acceptable to take a human life? Some may respond never. Others may respond with statements such as "only in self defense," "only if you are engaged in a military battle," "only as punishment for a horrible crime," "only if asked to do so by someone with a terminal illness" or "only if he or she is suffering and has no chance of leading a normal life." Once we acknowledge that things such as politics, religion, history and local law all act as cultural influences in the way we see the issue, it is clear that different people and different cultures will naturally and somewhat inevitably have different understandings of when, if ever, it is moral and ethical to take another person's life. ...
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