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VOGUE MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 1, 1939

LAIRD SCHOBER AND COMPANY

Laird Schober was a notable American shoe company that began in 1870 in Philadelphia, PA, as a small manufacturer of ladies', misses', and children's shoes. The company was started by Samuel Slahter Laird, his brother-in-law, George Schober, and his friend, George A. Mitchell. Laird Schober & Co. was recognized for its shoe design and manufacturing innovation. The high-quality materials and craftsmanship made their shoes highly desirable among consumers of the time. Laird Schober played a significant role in the history of footwear manufacturing and won the Franklin Institute Engineering Award in 1900 for Excellence in Manufacturing of shoes. They collaborated with fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli in 1938 and sold their shoes in fine department stores like Wanamaker's and Strawbridge & Clothier of Philadelphia. Laird Schober & Co. was one of the first U.S. shoe manufacturers to automate the production of shoes, similar to how Henry Ford automated car manufacturing. As a result, the company was a major employer in Philadelphia at the turn of the century and was a significant contributor to the local economy, supporting the industrial base of Philadelphia.

VOGUE MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER, 1951

My Story

Founder and Senior Partner of Laird Schober and Co., Samuel Slahter Laird was my great-great Grandfather, born in Philadephia, PA, in 1848. He married Mary Elizabeth Schober of Philadelphia on October 16, 1872. Their son, Samuel Slahter Laird, Jr. (my great Grandfather), was born on September 8, 1875. Samuel Slahter Laird Jr. married Lillian G. Tuttle (my great-grandmother) of Maine circa 1902 and worked to sustain the Laird Schober reputation of excellence throughout his lifetime. They had Samuel Slahter Laird III (my Grandfather), on September 22, 1909, who married Lois Isabelle Tietz (my Grandmother) on December 25, 1941, before his deployment for service in WWII. My Grandmother and Grandfather had my Mother, Lauren Lee Laird, on September 6, 1946, and their second child, Deborah Lois Laird, on January 15, 1950. Since my Grandparents did not have male children to carry on the Laird namesake, I was named Erika Laird Blakiston (and my birth year will remain a mystery).

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Contact

I'm always looking for new information about the history of my family and Laird Schober & Co.

407.714.1784

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