Von Lengerke & Antoinne Sporting Goods

[mikesglove]

The Von Lengerke & Antoinne, or V L & A, Partnership was formed in early 1891, and quickly became a very prominent Sporting Goods Retailer in Chicago Located ultimately at 335 Wabash Avenue in Downtown Chicago. The V L & A Partnership was formed as an extension of a New York Sporting Goods Retail Company known as Von Lengerke & DeMond which was started a short time prior to V L & A. At the same time, in New York, another prominent Sporting Goods Retailer was starting business in 1892 called Abercrombie & Fitch. The significance to this is for many years, from 1892 through 1938, these 2 retailers not only fought for market share catering to an upscale customer base, but both retailers also used the same motto "GREATEST SPORTING GOODS RETAILER IN THE WORLD".

Like Abercrombie & Fitch, the Von Lengerke & Antoinne products were from the finest manufacturers, and appealed to an upscale clientele. Pertinent to what we do, here are a few of the product lines they sold: H. H. Heiser, George Lawrence Company, Colt, and Winchester, among a large array of goods offered both through catalog ordering or by going to the retail store. In 1938, the V L & A Chicago Company after losing faith in the public eye was bought out by Abercrombie & Fitch, although they did operate under the V L & A name until the closing of the store in the early 1960s. The downfall of V L & A can be somewhat associated with the effects of the Great Depression and their less than attractive history in Chicago from the late 1920s through the late 1930s when the company sold out.

Below is a 1926 Spring/Summer VL&A catalog featuring top Stall & Dean, D&M and Reach gloves and mitts.




Below is an interesting "Ace" model VL&A glove



Below is a nice pearl calfskin base mitt listed in the catalog above as the Reach model 4R.