Incorporated in 1968, C & C Building Corporation, a family owned and operated business, purchased the building formerly known as Gerts Lombard & Company. Following is a condensed history of the building originally constructed in 1880.

Our Home Town of Chicago in 1850

In 1850 Chicago had been a City for only 17 years. The population had grown to but little more than 25,000 persons. Its streets were little more than mud roads. What side-walks there were, were of wood construction, elevated alongside the dirt roads. There had been no street lights in Chicago prior to 1850, when the first gas lighted street lamps were installed in the business district for the first time. This occasioned much celebration and fanfare.

The City was served by no railroad from the east until several years later, but the Galena & Dubuque Railroad, the forerunner of the Galena Division of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, began operations in 1848, when it operated over a 10 mile stretch between the Chicago River at Wells Street and the Des Plaines River in what later became known as River Forest, Illinois. By 1850 the railroad extended as far west as the Mississippi River.

The Company Is Founded

Into the Chicago setting of 1850, came a sturdy native of New England, George E. Gerts, who had served his apprenticeships in a brush factory in East Boston, Massachusetts. He founded his little brush manufacturing business in a little store on Wells Street, just north of Randolph, which location is now right in the heart of the well known Chicago loop.

In the beginning, he did most of the procurement, making, selling and collecting himself; cleaned up the little shop after the long day was over; and then made his bed for the night in the rear of the store.

In those days, he obtained bristle from the Chicago Stock Yards and then buried it for a time in the sand at Lake Michigan in order to rot off the animal flesh which adhered to it. Later the bristle was taken to his little factory, where it was dragged and sorted into various lengths, then tied into bundles and boiled. The batches were then arranged according to prepared formulas, and mixed together by hand, a very slow unsatisfactory process when compared to the job now done by the modern mixing machines in use today.

By 1854, Mr. Gerts' business had reached a volume of $15,000 per year. At that time he was joined by his first partner, Mr. Loder, who however remained with him but a short time. However, the first award ever received by our Company's Founder was one issued to the firm of GERT'S & LODER by the Chicago Mechanics Institute in the years 1854. It was issued in recognition of the fine exhibit and quality for the products displayed. A similar award was issued by the same Institute to the firm of GEORGE E. GERTS & COMPANY in 1856, the name of the firm having been changed in 1855, when Mr. Loder left the partnership. These awards were so cherished by Mr. Gerts, that they were among the few possessions saved by the Company at the time of the Great Chicago Fire. At that time, the plant was totally destroyed by conflagration.

Our Present Company Name Is Established

In 1860, Mr. Gerts was joined by Henry Lumbard, and the name of the enterprise was changed to GERTS & LUMBARD. These two partners were joined in 1866 by John Schmidt, the grandfather of our present company head. In 1866 the factory was located at 204 Randolph Street, just east of Wells, still in the heart of the present loop district of Chicago. The partnership thus formed became henceforth to be known by our present name, GERTS, LUMBARD & CO.

We Survive The Great Chicago Fire

Thanks to the help of our suppliers, and the sacrifices of the partners, the business was reorganized after the Great FIre, the new home being on Wood Street, just north of Chicago Avenue.

The plant was again moved in the 1880's to 2100 West Grand Avenue, where we remained until 1949.

A Half Century Of Association

Mr. Lumbard, Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Gerts (left to right) were all active in the management of the business until well after the turn of the century. During the intervening years their sons became active in the business as well. The three lifelong partners died within a few years of one another, each reaching into the early eighties before going to the Great Beyond. During their half century of association, they prided themselves in the quality of the work produced in their factory. This was made possible thru the loyalty and craftsmanship of their employees, as well as by their untiring energy and effort.

While most of the old-time artisans are no longer alive, we still have in our employ a few men, who can recall the old days when a brush maker really dressed up in his Sunday best to come to work. Some wore their tall silk hats when they strolled into the shop. Their long beards, which were the fashion in those days, were tucked into their shirts while working but, unfortunately, said beards did not always stay in place. Often, when the beards came out from behind the shirt fronts, they were cut off by a saw or were tangled in the machinery but, alas, we could not make use of the clippings.

We Are Incorporated

The company was incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois in 1891. Two years later, in 1893, the company received another cherished award made possible by Act of Congress and awarded by the World Columbian Commission. This award was issued in recognition of the fine exhibit of solid back hair brushes, etc., which were set in ebony and solid ivory; and for the completeness and high quality of the GERTS, LUMBARD & CO. display of paint, varnish and calcimine brushes. This award, as well as the two earlier awards hang in the reception hall in our present plant on Kimball Avenue.

Because of the conditions prevailing during the first world war, it was not possible to obtain the former high quality Russian bristles used in making the high quality brushes for which the company enjoyed an enviable reputation. Rather than ruin their reputation, the company discontinued the manufacture of the hair brush and sundry lines, and thereafter concentrated on the production of their well developed paint brush business.

We Acquire A Subsidiary

Shortly after the death in 1930 of Mr. E. C. Lumbard, who was at the time our President and the last surviving son of Mr. Henry Lumbard, we purchased the entire capital assets of the Burton Boston Brush Co. of Cambridge, Mass. This company, now operating under the name, BURTON BRUSH CO., at this time manufactured and distributed their products throughout the east coast territory where GERTS, LUMBARD & CO., at the time, had practically no outlets. Because of the economic conditions prevailing during the early 30's, it was deemed advisable to concentrate all manufacturing efforts in our Chicago plant. Consequently, the manufacturing in Cambridge was discontinued and transferred to Chicago. The BURTON BRUSH CO., since that time, has operated as a distribution point for our products.

Chicago's Centennial Celebration

Chicago celebrated its Centennial in 1933 and again in 1934, by the long to be remembered Century of Progress Exposition. Our booth at the exposition attracted much interest throughout both years. Mr. Walter Gerts, the son of the founder of the company was in daily attendance at our booth, where we demonstrated certain processes in the production of paint brushes and explained to those interested, by means of lighted transparencies some of the other operations of good brush making.

According to a bulletin issued by the Chicago Chamber of Commerce in 1939, we were among the 35 oldest Chicago organizations, and in fact one of the 10 oldest manufacturers in the City. There could be no such record if it were not for the honor and integrity of the founders and the loyalty and craftsmanship of the employees over this long span of 100 years.

Our company is not large when compared to some of the modern industrial giants of this day but we are, nevertheless, an important factor in our field of brush making and distributing. Our products are distributed and find ready acceptance throughout the entire United States.

It will be our endeavor in the years to come, to merit your continued confidence thru service and quality---an axiom with us since our beginning, back in 1850.