Let's look at this vintage 1914 postcard that pictures the store interior of the LEISER AND CO. SPECIALTY SHOP of Lima, Ohio, with the notation LESTER SCHNITZER, SUCCESSOR. (On eBay here)
It appears that Leiser Shops were a small Midwest chain. I couldn't find out much about it, or who started it in Lima. They had ties to the MUNSER CO. which became MUNSER-LYON in 1920. Which explains Harry Lyon's name attached to the Lima store in the above list, yet the address is not in Lima.
Lima News ads for the LEISER SHOP start appearing in 1909, and run until about 1920, along with mentions in the DRY GOODS ECONOMIST 1916 and the GARMENT MANUFACTURERS INDEX 1920.
The store was located at North and Main, across from the Allen County Courthouse, in the HARPER BLOCK building. That would put it in the lower right of this postcard:
Mentions of the Harper Block appear in the Lima News starting 1886, and disappear after 1920. Not sure when the building was torn down.
Lester Schnitzer was a local fellow who worked at Leiser's, then took over management/ownership of the franchise by 1914.
Lester Schnitzer's father David Schnitzer was a Director of the Elgin Motor Car Company of Elgin, IL., and his sons Lester and Harry sold Elgin Co. stock to investors in Lima.
Lester Schnitzer passed away in 1918.
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Note: These items are part of my ''Collecting Lima Virtual Museum''. They are not for sale.
If/when I find more information on these items, I will add it to the post.
Read the Introduction to my ''Collecting Lima'' Virtual Museum Project, all about my Lima Ohio Bottles, Advertising, Antiques collection.
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Ms. Dow Antiques Blog 'Tique Talk is published by msdowantiques.com
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