THE BUERGER BROTHERS PAPERS

Collection

Identifier: WH684

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Buerger Brothers papers consists of business papers and catalogs from their barber and beauty supply company and real estate documents from their investment company. The supply company distributed barber and beauty shop furniture and supplies throughout Colorado and the surrounding states from 1885 until 1980, when the business closed.

The Buerger Brothers Supply Company papers include correspondence regarding the shipment of collars and the sale of two wall cabinets, a bill-pad with a note on the back, Buerger Brothers catalogs, and supplier J. A. Henckeles' catalog, a newspaper clippings, calendars.

The Buerger Brothers Investment Company leased real estate in Denver, Colorado and owned property in Pueblo and Germany. The papers for real estate in downtown Denver on Champa and Larimer where the Supply Company's stores operated contained the names of both Buerger Brother's Companies. Deeds, leases, contracts, receipts, correspondence, litigation papers about real estate owned by the Buerger Brothers is located in the Investment Company Series.

SERIES 1 BUERGER BROTHERS SUPPLY COMPANY 1897-1973 BOX 1

The series contains correspondence, stationery, bill-pad sheet and announcement of the opening of the new store on Champa Street. Material includes a newspapers clippings about the Buerger Brothers and The Denver Post Opera for which the Supply Company donated cosmetology supplies. Catalogs of Buerger Brothers barbering, shoeshine equipment and supplies along with a flyers and catalogs from their suppliers and information on regulations and legislation related to the cosmetology and hairdressing professions are also in the series.

SERIES 2 BUERGER BROTHERS INVESTMENT COMPANY 1881-1972 BOX 1

The Investment Company owned real estate in Denver and Pueblo, Colorado and Germany. The Brothers rented property as well as used some of the properties for their Supply Company business. The series also contains information about the Brothers' investments in life insurance and the Waring Hat Manufacturing Company.

SERIES 3 PHOTOGRAPHS 1911-1920 BOX 1

Three family photographs and one photograph of the Buerger Brothers Supply Company building at 1438 Larimer Street, Denver, Colorado comprise the series.

SERIES 4 OVERSIZE 1882-1971 OVFF 1

Buerger Brothers Supply Company calendars and legal real estate documents from the Investment Company comprise the series.

Dates

1881-1972

Copyright

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from material in the collection should be discussed with the appropriate librarian or archivist. Permission for publication may be given on behalf of the Denver Public Library as the owner of the physical item. It is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained by the customer. The Library does not assume any responsibility for infringement of copyright or publication rights of the manuscript held by the writer, heirs, donors, or executors. Reproduction restrictions are decided on a case-by-case basis.

Biographical / Historical

During 1885, in the back room of their barbershop at 319 South Union in Pueblo, Colorado, Otto, Hugo R. and Max Buerger started Buerger Brothers Supply Company. The brothers saw the opportunity to sell equipment and supplies to barbers in the Rocky Mountain region. In 1890, outgrowing the original facility, the Buerger Brothers relocated the company to Denver. They kept the shop in Pueblo and opened a branch in El Paso, Texas and in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Pueblo shop operated as both an outlet for barber supplies and a working barbershop, until closing in 1902.

In Denver, the Buerger Brothers Supply Company occupied 1438-1442 Larimer Street. At this location they added new departments and also manufactured their own line of creams, tonics and perfumes. The Buerger's sons and nephews joined the business. Outgrowing their Larimer Street location, they constructed a new building at 1730-1742 Champa Street.

When the Champa Street location opened, the Company's management was comprised of Otto G. Buerger, Hugo C. Buerger, Hugo R. Buerger, Otto Buerger, Julius A. Buerger, Alvin Buerger, Julius W. Buerger and John Schwarz. The business remained at the Champa Street location until 1972, when the company moved to 4600 Pecos Street. The company went out of business in 1980.

The Buerger Brothers also owned an investment company which managed their real estate investments. They leased property in Denver, Colorado and owned the buildings related to their Supply Company business. According to the records in the collection, the Brothers owned property in Colorado and in Germany. Nothing is known about the origins or ending of the company.