Location:

• 103-105 Mission St, San Francisco

Timeline:

• ?-1881-1915-?

Notes:

• Listed in 1896 SF City Directory
• "The bending, cutting, staining and manufacture of art glass in vast variety is an art which has advanced to a marvelous degree of perfection. The principal firm engaged in this artistic enterprise is the California Art Glass, Bending and Cutting Works at 103-105 Mission street. This concern, of which William Shroeder is president and W. J. Breuer secretary, practically controls the coast trade in this line of industrial achievement. The manufacture of memorial windows for churches, as well as art glass windows for private residences is a specialty of the firm. Some of its best work is seen in St. Brigid's Church and in the chapel of the Maria Kip Orphanage in this city, Christ Church in Alameda and in the fine Bishop's Memorial Chapel, Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands, just completed. Among work done in hundreds of residences may be mentioned the magnificent dome in Mr. Posada's house on Sacramento street, the mansion of Claus Spreckels on Van Ness avenue and Joe Poheim's new residence, Washington and Locust streets.
  All kinds of illuminated colored glass signs made by this firm may be seen in the principal thoroughfares of this city. The glass for the two lamps over the portico and the beveled, bent and crystalized glass in the Claus Spreckels building are products of this firm.
  They are now engaged in making screens for The Call's new business office." —The San Francisco Call, Dec 19, 1897
• Listed in 1899 SF City Directory, 103-105 Mission
• "The California Art Glass Bending and Cutting Works, William Shroeder, president, is now located in its new building at 938 Howard street, between Fifth and Sixth streets, San Francisco. The company announces that it is now in a position to execute any orders or art glass, ground and cut glass, plain leaded glass, beveled, chipped and prism glass. A large stock of oalescent glass has been received and all orders will be promptly filled." —Western Architect and Engineer, 1906
• Listed in 1909 SF City Directory
• Listed in 1910 SF City Directory
• Listed under "Prismatic Glass" in 1915 Howard's Blue Book
• "California Art Glass Bending and Cutting Co. Works papers date from 1881 to 1913. Legal documents include a patent, articles of incorporation, and agreements. Miscellaneous financial items include stock certificates, loan paperwork, a few bills, and a balance sheet. A small amount of correspondence and a few inventory sheets are also present. Other items include a draft of a speech given by Schroeder on art glass, documents relating to the company's participation in the California Midwinter International Exposition (1894), and the Paris Exposition universelle internationale (1900). Other miscellaneous items include business cards, publicity, news clippings, and copies of photographs of the company." —Online Archive of California, Erwin Strohmaier family papers
• They won a silver medal at the 1900 expo for two stained-glass windows; for "size and space" are given "Wall, 6'10'' by 5'3''". "The stained-glass window exhibited was especially executed to show the advance made in the production of materials used in the decorative glass industry in the United States. All materials used were of native manufacture, and the completed window was made, as far as possible, a representative piece of American glass, both in design, material, and execution. The great advance made in the manufacture of American work since 1889 is shown in..." —Congressional Serial Set, 1901
• "...Clayton immigrated to the United States in 1894 from England. From 1898 to 1904, he was a resident of San Francisco while working as a glass designer for California Art Glass, Bending and Cutting Works. In 1905 Clayton relocated to San Anselmo in Marin County and became president and manager of the Sierra Glass Company in San Francisco. ..." —Ernest Clayton Collection (San Francisco Public Library)
• "William H. Schroeder was a California artist of German heritage who owned the California Art Glass Bending and Cutting Works in San Francisco. He married San Francisco native Julia Breuer in 1882. Their daughter Clara married Jacob Strohmaier (also involved in California Art Glass B. & C. Works) in 1910. Jacob later co-owned the Gernhardt-Strohmaier Co. stove and appliance stores, and ran their Oakland store. Erwin Jack Strohmaier, in addition to helping his father Jacob in business, was a photographer for the Air Force in World War II, and had an interest in California and family history." —Erwin Strohmaier family papers, 1872-1994 (bulk 1879-1945) (Online Archive of California)