Details
Title Restein, E. P. & L.
Date fl. ca. 1864-1912
Description E. P. & L. Restein, the Philadelphia chromolithographic firm established by brothers Edmund Prosper and Louis (Ludwig) Restein, operated ca. 1864-1912.
Originally an independent branch of their father's fancy card manufactory, James Restein & Sons, at 702 Chestnut Street, E. P. & L. Restein also included a "chroma factory" at 714-16 Federal Street by 1867. The establishment, which maintained good to fair to poor credit, initially produced lamp shades before specializing in parlor prints and novelties, particularly views and genre scenes, by the 1870s. Credit reports indicate the Resteins' establishment's worth at about $12,000 to $15,000, and in 1874, the brothers purchased several lots above Seventh and Dickinson Streets. By 1876, the establishment relocated to their lots on Dickinson; associated with the financially-troubled The National Chromo Company as their publisher; and was noted in the credit reports as having a fair number of judgments owed. Despite these financial instabilities, the Resteins continued to do a "large business publishing chromos" in 1889. Following the deaths of the brothers in the early 1890s, the firm continued under the management of Edmund's wife Rebecca, but by 1897 the business's several judgments began to take a major financial toll and the establishment entered into bankruptcy proceedings. In October 1912, the firm, including 300,000 lbs of lithographic stones, was sold at auction.
Edmund Prosper and Louis (Ludwig) Restein, sons of lithographer, card, and paper manufacturer James Restein (b. ca. 1811) and Catherine (b. ca. 1812), born in France in 1837 and ca. 1838, respectively, immigrated to Philadelphia in 1852. In 1855, their father worked at the establishment of P. S. Duval (5 Ranstead Place), where the brothers were purported by Peters to have trained. Other early work experience was provided by the lampshade and lithograph manufactory of V. Quarre & Co., where father and sons were also employed as cited in credit reports.
In 1858, Edmund was listed in city directories at the establishment of Alphonse Brett (N. E. Sixth and Minor Streets) and in 1861 at the establishment of L. N. Rosenthal (501 Chestnut Street) before the brothers are listed in partnership with William Stott in E. P. & L. Restein & Co., shade manufacturers at 713 Federal Street (the Resteins residential address). By 1867, Edmund and Louis only remained in the firm.
In 1860, the brothers lived with their parents in South Philadelphia, where they lived and worked throughout their lives. By 1870, Edmund had married Rebecca (b. ca. 1842) and had several children. In 1880, Edmund lived at 1224 South Eight Street with his family and Louis resided at 8041 Wharton Street with possibly his second wife, Virginia-born Elizabeth (b. ca. 1847) and his two sons, John and James, whose mother was born in Pennsylvania. Edmund died in December 1890, while Louis died on January 25, 1894 in a carriage on his way to his residence on Wharton Street. According to Louis's will, he left an estate and real estate, each worth $10, 000. Indicative of the troubled states of the Restein firm, his share of the business remained as a loan to the surviving partners (as agreed to by executors of his brother's estate in 1893) from which the interest and all revenue went to his two sons and wife as long as she remained a widow.
Is part of Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers
Portraits from Joseph Jackson, "Some Notes Towards a History of Lithography in Philadelphia." (Philadelphia, 1900)
References See Brett, Alphonse; Duval, P. S.; Rosenthal, L. N. and Quarre, V. & Co.
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Call number Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers
Bibliographic citation Census 1860, 1870, 1880
Groce & Wallace, 532
Jackson, "Some Notes Towards a History of Lithography in Philadelphia." (Philadelphia, 1900), 21
Last, 223
Library Company of Philadelphia research file
Marzio, 260, fn. 42
National Lithographer (November 1912): 29
Pennsylvania, Vol. 142, p. 18, 62, R.G. Dun & Co. Collection, microfilm, Hagley Museum & Library
Peters, 332
Philadelphia Business and City Directories, 1858-1894 (intermittently)
Louis Restein, Year 1894, Will 464, Register of Wills, City Hall, Philadelphia
WWWAA, 2745
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