The Senica-St Louis Aufrichtigs

Alois Aufrichtig

 

Alois Aufrichtig is the most documented of the St Louis Aufrichtigs, due mainly to owner-director status of the Copper, Brass & Sheet Iron Works bearing his name. Based at 218 & 220 Lombard Street, St Louis, Mo., the company appears to have been in operation from 1888 and after 1912, the year of Alois' death, with son Charles Grover Aufrichtig at the helm. It specialised in the manufacture of brewery equipment, key elements of which were cooling devices and water filters that had been patented by Alois.

1890s letter heading for Alois Aufrichtig's Copper, Brass & Sheet Iron Works. Note the use of commas after both Alois' name and that of his company,

Shortly after the patent of his water cooler in July 1888, Alois organised a mail shot outlining its benefits. Included in his summary were details of the breweries that had introduced the new cooling devices. These ranged from several locally based in St Louis, to outfits in Tennessee, Texas, Illinois, California and Louisiana.

Alois Aufrichtig

Image of the Alois Aufrichtig Copper & Sheet Iron Works in Lombard Street, St Louis.

Alois Aufrichtig was a highly respected businessman and the recipient of several glowing newspaper and magazine reports. The following report stems from a US industrial journal:

Mr. Aufrichtig learned the copper-smith trade in the city of Klausenburg, the capitol of Transylvania he himself being a Hungarian by birth; after serving his apprenticeship he worked at his trade first in Vienna and Brünn, the capital of Moravia, then going to England he found employment in London and Newcastle, and afterwards came across the ocean to seek his fortune in the new world.  After working for quite a while in Springfield, Mass., and Chicago he came to St. Louis in 1878, where he soon opened a shop of his own.  As a skilled mechanic and by close attention to his work he succeeded in a very short time in gaining a permanent patronage from nearly all our breweries and many distilleries, which in itself was sufficient to keep him and his many workmen busy all the year round.  More shoproom became necessary, and he acquired two houses, 218 and 220 Lombard street, where office and factory are now located.  The latter is equipped with the most improved machinery and all utensils for the turning out of all kinds of copper, brass and sheet iron articles used in breweries, distilleries, sugar refineries, milk condensing factories, etc. The best of material, accurate workmanship and honest dealing have always secured him the confidence and satisfaction of his customers, who are constantly growing in number here and elsewhere, and he may be proud of his success.       

 

 

The following is from a German language newspaper clipping (city & date unknown):

"Mr. Alois Aufrichtig, the well known coppersmith from St. Louis was in town on Sunday on business. Naturally he met many of his friends who were very happy to see him.  Mr. Aufrichtig is still the same straight-forward and friendly person and really lives up to his name."  

[NB: The German word Aufrichtig means upright, honest, sincere]

 

 

 

The following article, which makes mention of Alois's address, is believed to have printed in a local St Louis publication.

   "the old reliable fitter up of breweries and malt houses, ALOIS AUFRICHTIG, of 121 Valentine street, put in

   the mash tank, the hopper and ventilating pipes, and some of the water tanks.  He is one of the oldest manufacturers

   in his line in the West, and has fitted up many breweries, but he awards the palm to the "National" as the finest fitted

   up brewery in St. Louis."  

 

 

Left: Beer Stein manufactured by Alois Aufrichtig Copper Works

Above: Alois Aufrichtig Manufacturers Mark

 

 

Photograph reproduced courtesy of Bruce Blanner

 

 

 

Left: Two excellent quality beer steins manufactured by Alois Aufrichtig Copper Works

Below: Letter heading that came into use from 1910, two years before the death of  Alois Aufrichtig.

 

 

 

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