Franz Schiebner & Co.

Franz Schiebner & Co. were Fancy Leather Goods Manufacturers in London at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. His workshops made smaller leather items such as purses and cigar cases etc. They were big enough to have their own maker's hallmark for silver, using it to adorn their leather goods to elevate the quality. They are known to have sold some of their items through the well-known retailers Fisher of 188 Strand but no doubt also supplied other shops.

Franz Schiebner's company has a connection to Walter Radmall. He first had a joint business of Mantle & Radmall of 1 Redeross Street, London. George Freestone Mantle and Walter Wiliam Radmall dissolved their partnership on the 24th of November 1877 with the business carried on by Radmall. Mantle set up again under his own name and by 1881 was employing 10 men. In 1884 his business address was 42 Basinghall Street, East London. By 1880, Walter Radmall had changed his business address to 31 Barbican, premises he shared with a grocer, postal telegraph office, a lithographic artist, tie & scarf agent and a costume maker. It is this address that links Franz Schiebner to Walter Radmall.

German born Schiebner would have served an apprenticeship in making fancy leather goods before he set up on his own. It is likely that he either did this with his father or Robert Schiebner, who was 13 years older than Franz, also born in Germany, presumably a relative and is listed ... show more

Franz Schiebner & Co. were Fancy Leather Goods Manufacturers in London at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. His workshops made smaller leather items such as purses and cigar cases etc. They were big enough to have their own maker's hallmark for silver, using it to adorn their leather goods to elevate the quality. They are known to have sold some of their items through the well-known retailers Fisher of 188 Strand but no doubt also supplied other shops.

Franz Schiebner's company has a connection to Walter Radmall. He first had a joint business of Mantle & Radmall of 1 Redeross Street, London. George Freestone Mantle and Walter Wiliam Radmall dissolved their partnership on the 24th of November 1877 with the business carried on by Radmall. Mantle set up again under his own name and by 1881 was employing 10 men. In 1884 his business address was 42 Basinghall Street, East London. By 1880, Walter Radmall had changed his business address to 31 Barbican, premises he shared with a grocer, postal telegraph office, a lithographic artist, tie & scarf agent and a costume maker. It is this address that links Franz Schiebner to Walter Radmall.

German born Schiebner would have served an apprenticeship in making fancy leather goods before he set up on his own. It is likely that he either did this with his father or Robert Schiebner, who was 13 years older than Franz, also born in Germany, presumably a relative and is listed

as a leather manufacturer, or with Walter Radmall. If you are reading this on any site other than Christopher Clarke Antiques, it has been copied without permission. Franz took over Radmall's business address at 31 Barbican at some point between 1882 and 1888 and is also listed in the directories as a Fancy Leather Goods Manufacturer. He would have been between 26 and 32 years old. His home address was 22 Filey Avenue in Stoke Newington and he was married to Kate. A son, Robert, was born in 1892.

Between 1899 and 1905, the business of Franz Schiebner & Co. moved to 106 Golden Lane, not far from Barbican. The business was still going in 1913 but then we lose sight of it. Franz died in 1934.