Kovács Ferenc et al.: Fardagály és kámvás rokolya. Divat és illem a 19. században (Budapest, 2010)
Magyar divatáru-kereskedők Pesten (1840 - 1900)
Hungarian Fashion Merchants in Pest (1840-1900) |AENYASSZ0yVV7 KELENGYÉK VACZI-UTCZA 32 sz Számolócédula, 1890-es évek Back of notepad, 1890s tion on their self-manufactured eiderdown quilts, duvets and mattresses. There was also a separate feather and down catalogue and the customer could choose from “feather’s for the ordinary servant’s bed” right up to the highest quality, softest swan down. They achieved success using the following principles: they provided their customers with good quality products at reasonable prices; they warranted and compensated all faults; they guaranteed the genuineness of the linen merchandise they sold; they were happy to exchange any goods that were not suitable for the customer, provided it was not damaged. They offered a discount for payment in cash, but only if the bill was paid within 3 weeks (a 2% discount up to 100 Forints, 3% up to 500 Forints and 4% over 500 Forints). They sent out catalogues and samples free of charge and first prepared a sample piece in the case of every order. Customers could voice any complaints directly to the proprietor himself Purchases made in Budapest were delivered quickly and free of charge, and they also endeavoured to fulfil orders made by post as quickly as possible. Finally: employees of the company were obliged to dress elegantly to work and were forbidden from eating any toods containing garlic on weekdays. Knowing this, it isn’t difficult to see why they became so popular... What is a much greater mystery is why the 57 year old, highly successful and extremely wealthy owner of the company committed suicideinhisshopatl2 Koronaherceg Street on March 31,1910. He took his own life where he had spent the majority of it. Several daily newspapers (Pesti Hírlap, A Nap, Magyar Estilap, Neues Politisches Volksblatt) reported on the story in detail. That day Mossmer arrived at the shop at around 10am, went down to the lower storeroom and lifted his Browning pistol to his temple. His two sons, Pál andjózsef jr. only heard the shot, employee Árpád Galli alerted them: “the boss has shot himself dead!” His last words to his assistant, crouching over him, were apparently: “leave me alone”. Next to his body was a short note with the words “don’t take me home ”. Mössmer had had a stroke two years before his suicide and perhaps he was afraid that it would occur again. Following his death, his sonjózseftook over the business in 1911. József Kollarits and Sons József Kollarits’s haberdasher shop opened in 1815 at 26 Váci Street and was originally dedicated to “The Belgian Woman", then from 1827, in commemoration of the military leader of the Greek uprising of 1821, to Ypsilanti. The family wished to demonstrate its Greek origins and patriotism with the large sign, which depicted the hero in romantic pose on horseback The owner was very daring because instead of dresses individually prepared to measure by meticulous female hands, which was the preference of the 87
