Superba Cravats Company papers

The clothing industry was one of the leading industries of Rochester, NY throughout much of the 19th and 20th centuries. While the majority of the industry was focused on the manufacture of men's suits, some companies made products related to the apparel industry, making strong contributions to Rochester's economy and reputation. One such company was Superba Cravats, the oldest and one of the largest manufacturers of neckwear in the United States.

Superba Cravats was originally named H.C. Cohn & Co., and was founded in 1873 by Herman C. Cohn (1854-1941), with his brothers Henry and Barry. Herman was the son-in-law to Henry Michaels of the successful Michaels Stern & Co. of Rochester. The original location of H.C. Cohn & Co. was across from Henry Michaels Clothing Co., on Main and Mills Streets. Herman C. Cohn began by selling necktie samples obtained from manufacturers in New York City, and after a year the company began manufacturing its own neckties. By 1880, H.C. Cohn & Co. had expanded its sales into the southern and western parts of the United States. In 1888, the company relocated to Andrews St., in the "hub" of Rochester's clothing industry.

The traveling salesmen of H.C. Cohn & Co. were very important to Herman C. Cohn and to the success of the company as a whole. In an effort to attract top-quality salesmen to his firm, Cohn helped found the Commercial Travelers Association of Rochester. Working with other manufacturing cities around the country, this pioneer association helped improve the living and working conditions of traveling salesmen.

In 1907, Herman C. Cohn's son Herman M. Cohn (1886-1966) joined the company after graduating from the University of Rochester (Class of 1907). He quickly established a reputation as a style setter in the industry and focused the company's efforts even more on its sales force. By 1908, H.C. Cohn & Co. began promoting its ties under the brand name of "Superba Cravats." This promotion proved so successful that the company eventually changed its official name to Superba Cravats in 1948.

Herman M. Cohn became the president of the company in 1918, and successfully led Superba Cravats through the 1920s and 1930s, bringing a renewed upturn in business even during slow economic times. The post WWI era saw a rapid shift in necktie styles throughout the entire industry, and Herman M. Cohn responded to the stylistic and economic changes with creative merchandising and intensification of Superba Cravats' sales campaigns. In 1938, Cohn hired salesman Helmut Hertz (d.1970), a refugee from Nazi Germany whose family had long been manufacturers of neckties. In 1950, Hertz became the general manager of Superba Cravats, and by 1955 he was appointed president when Herman M. Cohn became Chairman of the Board.

The 1950s and 1960s were decades of more rapid change in the neckwear industry, bringing with them the most successful promotion in Superba Cravats' history. In 1951, Helmut Hertz introduced the "Dacron" necktie, made from the new synthetic polyester fabric developed by DuPont (E.I. DuPont DeNemours & Co., Inc.). Completely man-made, Dacron was machine washable, extremely durable, resistant to spotting or fading, and required no pressing, making it a very desirable fabric for neckties. Superba Cravats secured a patent, becoming the sole manufacturer of the Dacron necktie in the entire industry.

During the 1960s, Superba Cravats expanded its manufacturing and reorganized into four divisions: Superba Cravats (the largest division, featuring branded fashion merchandise); Don Loper of California (higher priced, high fashion neckwear) began in 1961; Kings Lynn (traditional neckwear and accessories) began in 1967; and the Johnny Carson Division began in 1970. In 1967, Superba Cravats acquired the Smith Gormly building on St. Paul Street in Rochester to house its Kings Lynn Division.

In 1965, Herman M. Cohn retired from Superba Cravats, followed by Helmut Hertz in 1967. Hertz retained the titles of CEO and Chairman of the Board until his death in 1970. Allan Lerner, son of Superba Cravats' "super salesman" Irving Lerner, was elected president. By the second half of the 1960s and the early 1970s, Superba Cravats saw increased competition from importers of foreign neckties. While the company was able to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 1973, it decided to move manufacturing to Puerto Rico the following year. Superba Cravats' headquarters remained in Rochester until 1979, when its main offices relocated to Los Angeles, operating today as Superba, Inc. By 1980, Rochester's affiliation with Superba Cravats was reduced strictly to shipping and distribution. The company made its final appearance in the Rochester City Directory in 1981-1982, listing Louis Wiley (grandson of Herman C. Cohn) as Chairman of the Board and M. Mandelbaum as president.