Henry Osborne Havemeyer
Henry Osborne Havemeyer | |
---|---|
President of the American Sugar Refining Company | |
In office 1891–1907 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Sugar Trust | October 18, 1847
Henry Osborne Havemeyer (October 18, 1847 – December 4, 1907) was an American industrialist, entrepreneur and sugar refiner who founded and became president of the American Sugar Refining Company in 1891.
Havemeyer was the third generation of his family in the sugar business and oversaw the expansion of the family firm into the American Sugar Refining Company, which dominated the sugar industry in the late 19th century. Together with his wife, Louisine Havemeyer, he was an avid and prolific collector of art, one of the earliest collectors to bring Impressionist art to America, guided by artist Mary Cassatt.[1] After Louisine Havemeyer's death in 1929, a large part of their collection was bequeathed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Early life
Henry Osborne Havemeyer was born in New York City on October 18, 1847, the eighth of nine children, to Frederick Christian Havemeyer Jr. (1807-1891) and Sarah Louise (née Henderson) Havemeyer (1812-1851). His mother died in 1851 when Harry, as he was known to his family, was three years old. He was raised with the help of his grandmothers, Mary Osborne Henderson and Catharine Billiger Havemeyer, and his oldest sister, Mary Havemeyer. The family lived in a house at 193 West 14th Street,[2] in what was then the northern frontier of New York City.
In 1854, Harry Havemeyer, age seven, and his brother Thomas, age nine, were sent to study at the
Sugar refining
Havemeyers in the sugar industry (1799–1842)
In 1799, William Havemeyer (1770-1851) arrived in New York City, followed three years later by his younger brother Frederick Christian Havemeyer (1774-1841). The brothers came from a family of bakers in Bückeburg, Germany, and trained in London during the last decades of the 18th century. William Havemeyer was brought to New York under contract to Edmund Seaman to run his sugar bakery on Pine Street. Frederick followed circa 1802, and in 1805 the brothers leased land from Trinity Church on Budd Street (later renamed Vandam Street) to build their own sugar bakery, which opened in 1807.
After the Havemeyer brothers retired in 1828, their respective sons, cousins
Havemeyers & Elder (1863–1882)
When the partnership of Havemeyers & Elder was formed in 1863, Henry Osborne Havemeyer, known in the business as H.O. Havemeyer, was a fifteen-year-old apprentice and, in the family tradition, was learning his way through all aspects of the business from testing sugar at the docks to learning the complex processes of refinery operations, including the carefully guarded secrets of sugar boiling.[7] Subsequently, he became apprentice to J. Lawrence Elder, working on the mercantile aspect of the business—purchasing, sales and record keeping. When Elder died suddenly in 1868, H.O. Havemeyer and his brother Thomas took over the mercantile business and became partners in Havemeyers & Elder in 1869. Cousin Charles H. Senff also joined the partnership to manage refinery operations and construction with Theodore A. Havemeyer.[8]
By 1868, the Havemeyers & Elder refinery had doubled in size. Known as the Yellow Sugar House,[9] it covered the blocks on the East River waterfront from South 2nd Street to South 5th Street. Modern innovations were introduced into refinery operations, such that sugar was refined with great efficiency.[10] By 1876 Thomas Havemeyer was no longer involved in Havemeyers & Elder, and H.O. Havemeyer became the principal partner in charge of the mercantile business.[citation needed]
Refinery fire and rebuilding (1882–1884)
On Sunday, January 8, 1882, the Havemeyers & Elder refinery was completely destroyed by fire, a loss of $1.5 million.[11]
The partners, Theodore, H. O. and Frederick C. Havemeyer Jr. and cousin Charles H. Senff, agreed to rebuild and constructed a large state-of-the-art refinery, the cost of which required the entire financial resources of the family, including Frederick C. Havemeyer Jr.'s personal fortune.[12]
The new refinery was designed by Theodore A. Havemeyer, Charles H. Senff and refinery superintendent Ernest Gerbracht. It was built of completely fireproof materials—brick and iron, with cast iron columns and wrought iron beams and girders. Electric lights were installed, a new technology that was less hazardous than gas lights.[13] The refinery reopened for business in January 1884 with a capacity to refine three million pounds of sugar daily.[14]
Formation of the Sugar Trust (1887–1891)
In 1887 H.O. Havemeyer established the Sugar Refineries Company, known as the
The legality of the Sugar Trust came before the New York State court in a November 1890 suit, People of the State of New York versus the North River Refining Company. [17] This led the Sugar Trust to reorganize as a holding company, the American Sugar Refining Company, which was incorporated in New Jersey on January 10, 1891, by attorneys Elihu Root and John Randolph Dos Passos. Effectively the business practices of the American Sugar Refining Company maintained those of the Sugar Refineries Company and it continued to be known as the Sugar Trust.
Acquisition of refineries (1887–1895)
In 1887 Havemeyer sought to bring the remaining independent refineries into the Trust. His chief rival on the West Coast was Claus Spreckels, who refused to join the Trust. Using a small California plant that the Sugar Trust had acquired in 1891, Havemeyer began an aggressive price war to put Spreckels out of business. In retaliation Spreckels opened a Philadelphia refinery in 1889, intending to undercut the Trust's business in the East.[18] A fierce price war continued for two years, until the Trust and Spreckels came to an agreement in 1891: Spreckels sold his Philadelphia refinery to the Trust and the two sides agreed to keep out of each other's territory.[19]
The years 1889-1892 were a severely competitive time for the Trust, where the margin between the cost of raw sugar and the price of refined sugar was at its lowest. Alleviation of conditions came when the
In 1891 Havemeyer moved to acquire the remaining three Philadelphia refineries. The acquisition of E.C. Knight Company, one of the Philadelphia refineries, was challenged by the U. S. government in the landmark case,
Arbuckle Sugar and Coffee War 1898-1901
In 1898,
Arbuckle had innovated in the automated packaging of his coffee beans and began to repackage sugar, which he bought from the Sugar Trust, to sell alongside his coffee beans.[22] Arbuckle moved to produce his own sugar and built a refinery in Brooklyn. Thereafter Havemeyer and Arbuckle entered into a fierce competition. Havemeyer bought controlling interest in a coffee business, Woolson Spice Company of Toledo, Ohio, in order to undercut Arbuckle's prices. Arbuckle retaliated by lowering prices on the sugar produced at his new refinery. The price war continued for three years. In 1901 the two men came to an agreement to end their costly war.[citation needed]
Congressional investigations
On June 12, 1894 H.O. Havemeyer testified before a special committee of senators appointed to investigate the Sugar Trust. He admitted to lobbying on behalf of his interests, which he claimed was within his rights and was common practice. A request was made by a senator to review all the political contributions made by the American Sugar Refining Company in 1892–1893. After seeking counsel, at his next appearance before the committee, Havemeyer declined to submit his company's books for examination or to answer any further questions.[23] In 1897 Havemeyer was brought to trial for contempt of court for refusing to answer the questions put to him by a committee of the United States Senate investigating the amount of donations his company had made to national and state political campaigns in 1892 and 1893. He was found not guilty and the indictment was dismissed.[24]
National Sugar Refining Company of New Jersey (1900)
As a result of the Arbuckle price war, the few independent refineries that were built in the 1890s began to experience financial difficulties. Taking advantage of this, H.O. Havemeyer moved to acquire the remaining independent firms: the Mollenhauers Refinery in Brooklyn, National Sugar Company in
Expanding west (1902)
After the turn of the century, Havemeyer expanded the Sugar Trust's holdings to the
Expanding south (1906)
In 1892, Havemeyer made his first investment in Cuban raw sugar by investing in the Trinidad Sugar Company along with Charles H. Senff and Edwin Atkins. In 1906, he formed the Cuban American Sugar company, centralizing the management of five Cuban raw sugar manufacturers.[27]
Customs fraud 1907
In November 1907, two weeks before Havemeyer's death, a raid of the docks at the Havemeyer plant in Brooklyn by the
A civil suit followed to collect custom duties owed to the government. To avoid further litigation and bad publicity, the American Sugar Refining Company agreed to settle the customs fraud case for $2 million in back payment. Individual officers of the American Sugar Refining Company were tried separately for criminal involvement. In 1909 dock foreman Oliver Spitzer was convicted for attempted bribery. Ernest Gerbracht, superintendent, and Charles R. Heike, secretary, and five company checkers were also convicted.[30]
Personal and family life
In March 1870, Havemeyer was married to Mary Louise Elder. Mary Louise, known as Louise, was the sister of his brother-in-law, J. Lawrence Elder. It was a short and unhappy marriage. They were divorced in 1882, with no children.[31]
On August 22, 1883, Havemeyer married for the second time to 28-year-old
- Adaline Havemeyer (1884–1963),Peter Hood Ballantine Frelinghuysen I in 1907.[33]
- Horace Havemeyer (1886–1956),[34] married to debutante Doris A. Dick, a daughter of J. Henry Dick.[35][36]
- Electra Havemeyer (1888–1960), married to polo champion and insurance executive James Watson Webb II, a grandson of William H. Vanderbilt and James Watson Webb, in 1910.[37]
Although each of the children collected art in their own right, Electra Havemeyer Webb collected on the grand scale of her parents and went on to found Shelburne Museum to showcase her deep and diverse collections.
Musical interests
Havemeyer was an amateur violinist. He was a student of noted violinist Frederick Mollenhauer. It was his daily recreation and he would frequently play for three hours a day. Henry and Louisine Havemeyer held regular Sunday musicales at their home at 1 East 66th Street.[38]
Henry Osborne and other members of the family were major collectors of instruments. Some of the most important instruments they collectively owned were two violins: the 1723 Stradivari 'Kiesewette' (played by Maxim Vengerov, Ilya Gringolts, Stefan Jackiw, Philippe Quint and most recently Augustin Hadelich),[39] 1737 Guarneri 'del Gesù' "King Joseph",[40] and three cellos: 1711 Stradivari "Duport" (ex-Rostropovich),[41] 1714 Stradivari "Batta" (ex-Piatigorsky and most recently on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art)[42] and the 1743 Guadagnini "Havemeyer".[43]
Art collecting and Patronage
Havemeyer's first art purchases were made during his visit in 1876 to the
In her will, Louisine identified some 142 works as a bequest to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and empowered her children to give the museum's curators free rein. By the time they had finished an inventory of the Havemeyer's three-story Fifth Avenue home 1,967 works would be assimilated into the Met's holdings, identified as the H. O. Havemeyer Collection.[45] The Havemeyer collection is represented throughout the galleries, but notably by the sheer volume of works present in the Impressionist collection.[46] Some choice works from the Havemeyer collection are on view at the Shelburne Museum and the University of Michigan Museum of Art.
Homes
Hilltop, Greenwich, CT
In 1889 Havemeyer purchased 90 acres on Palmer Hill Road in
1 East 66th Street
In 1889 the Havemeyers purchased land at the corner of 66th Street and Fifth Avenue and hired architect
Tiffany and Colman designed every detail of the interior and its furnishings. They were inspired by the exotic cultures of the Near and Far East. Each room was thematically unique and covered with sumptuous materials, such as embroidered silks and Tiffany-designed glass tiles. Many of the materials used, including in the leaded-glass windows, light fixtures, mosaics and balustrades. were fabricated at the
The carriage house and stables were located at 126 East 66th Street, west of Third Avenue, designed in 1895 by Havemeyer's cousin William J. Wallace and S.E. Gage and later owned by John Hay Whitney.[55]
Islip, Long Island
The Havemeyers spent the months of July and August in Islip, Long Island, where Havemeyer sailed on the Great South Bay. In 1890 they bought property on St. Mark's Lane in Islip, Long Island, next door to Louisine Havemeyer's sister and brother-in-law, Adaline and Samuel T. Peters. In 1900 the Havemeyers moved into the Bayberry Point community that Havemeyer had developed, occupying the southwesterly house. Havemeyer owned a Herreshoff 30 named Electra which he raced in the Great South Bay.[56]
Merrivale Farm, Commack, Long Island
Havemeyer purchased 500 acres in Commack, Long Island, neighboring the racetrack of Carll S. Burr, who was engaged in breeding and training of trotting horses. Havemeyer was an avid hunter of ducks and other game birds. He owned a large stable of trotting horses and established a pheasant shooting preserve on land nearby.[57]
Philanthropy
Havemeyer was a trustee of the
Death
H.O. Havemeyer died on December 4, 1907, at Merrivale Farm in Commack, Long Island, after a sudden illness.[61] He was at Merrivale Farm with his son Horace for a Thanksgiving visit to shoot pheasant; his wife Louisine remained in New York City to be by her dying mother's bedside. After Thanksgiving lunch, Havemeyer was stricken with acute indigestion. The local doctor was called, but could not help.[62] His wife and daughter Electra arrived the next morning with three New York City doctors; however, Havemeyer was beyond help. He lived for five days before dying at 3 p.m. on December 4. The cause of death is thought to be peritonitis, as a consequence of undetermined digestive failure, and subsequent kidney failure.[63] Funeral services were held at his home at 1 East 66th Street officiated by Rev. Dr. R. Heber Newton, an Episcopalian minister. Havemeyer was buried at Green-Wood Cemetery.[64]
See also
References
- ^ Correspondence, 1901-1920, Boxes 1-3, The Havemeyer Family Papers relating to Art Collecting, the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- ^ "Trow's New York City Directory, 1854/1855". Retrieved 24 September 2016. Note: 14th Street was renumbered in 1869.
- ^ Havemeyer (2010), pp. 5–7, 17.
- ^ Havemeyer II (1944), p. 26-28.
- ^ "Sad Death of a Son of ex-Mayor Havemeyer" New York Times, November 28, 1861. (Errata: the ex-Mayor, William F. Havemeyer, was not his father. His father was Frederick C. Havemeyer, Jr.)
- ^ Havemeyer II (1944), p. 47.
- ^ Catlin Jr. (1988), p. 6, 13.
- ^ Havemeyer II (1944), p. 67.
- ^ Barta, George L. "Old Sugar Days in Brooklyn: Reminiscences" The American Sugar Family, Vols. 1-2, 1920, p. 3.
- ^ Havemeyer, Harry W. Merchants of Williamsburgh. New York: privately printed, 1989, p. 32.
- ^ "A Great Fire Archived 2013-12-11 at the Wayback Machine" Brooklyn Daily Eagle, January 9, 1882.
- ^ Catlin Jr. (1988), p. 6.
- ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission, Havemeyers & Elder Filter, Pan & Finishing House Archived 2013-03-26 at the Wayback Machine, September 25, 2007. (Link to pdf.)
- ^ Havemeyer (2010), p. 41.
- ^ Vogt (1908), p. 34-36.
- ^ Havemeyer II (1944), p. 68.
- ^ Vogt (1908), p. 42-43.
- ^ Catlin Jr. (1988), p. 25.
- ^ "Sugar Trust War Ended," New York Times, March 31, 1891. Link to pdf.
- ^ Vogt (1908), pp. 46–47.
- ^ Arbuckle Brothers Coffee Patent, oldcoffeeroasters.com. Accessed August 16, 2022.
- ^ Havemeyer (2010), p. 58.
- ^ Weitzenhoffer (1986), p. 96.
- ^ Havemeyer (2010), p. 107.
- ^ Catlin Jr. (1988), p. 26-33.
- ^ Havemeyer II (1944), p. 69.
- ^ Havemeyer (2010), pp. 79–81.
- ^ Weitzenhoffer (1986), p. 180.
- ^ Weitzenhoffer (1986), pp. 187–188.
- ^ Havemeyer II (1944), pp. 69–70.
- ^ Havemeyer (2010), p. 25-26.
- ^ "Mrs. Peter Frelinghuysen, Mother of Representative" (PDF). The New York Times. 14 April 1963. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- ^ "ST. THOMAS'S THRONGED FOR HAVEMEYER WEDDING Miss Adaline Havemeyer and Mr. Frelinghuysen Wed Yesterday. BRIDE'S VEIL OF RARE LACE Reception After the Ceremony at the Havemeyer Home — Social News of the Day" (PDF). The New York Times. February 8, 1907. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
- ^ Studios, Lainson (26 October 1956). "Horace Havemeyer Dead at 70; Sugar Executive and Yachtsman; Former Director of American Refining Company Had Won Many Racing Trophies" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- ^ "MISS DORIS A. DICK TO WED; Engaged to Horace Havemeyer, Only Son of Late Henry O. Havemeyer" (PDF). The New York Times. 4 January 1911. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- ^ "Mrs. Horace Havemeyer". The New York Times. 22 September 1982. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- ^ "MISS HAVEMEYER BRIDE OF J. W. WEBB St. Bartholomew's Crowded at Nuptials of Younger Daughter of Late H. O. Havemeyer HANDSOME BRIDAL GIFTS Bracelet of Large Emeralds and Diamonds from the Bridegroom, Eldest Son of Dr. W. Seward Webb" (PDF). The New York Times. February 9, 1910. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- ^ Havemeyer, Louisine W. Sixteen to Sixty: Memoirs of a Collector. New York: Ursus Press, 1961, 1993, pp. 13-14.
- ^ "Historical Owners (A-Z) - Tarisio". Tarisio. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
- ^ "Historical Owners (A-Z) - Tarisio". Tarisio. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
- ^ "Historical Owners (A-Z) - Tarisio". Tarisio. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
- ^ "Historical Owners (A-Z) - Tarisio". Tarisio. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
- ^ "Historical Owners (A-Z) - Tarisio". Tarisio. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
- ^ Kimmelman, Michael (26 March 1993). "Havemeyer Collection: Magic at the Met". New York Times. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
- ^ Weitzenhoffer (1986), p. 251-252.
- ^ Charles Caldwell Hawley (2014). A Kennecott Story. The University of Utah Press. p. 33.
- ^ Havemeyer (2010), p. 43, 45.
- ^ "A New Villa on the Sound". New-York Tribune, 19 October 1890. 19 October 1890. Retrieved 6 December 2013..
- ^ Weitzenhoffer (1986), p. 52.
- ^ Havemeyer (2010), p. 47-48.
- ^ Frelinghuysen et al. (1993), p. 173.
- ^ Frelinghuysen et al. (1993), p. 177.
- ^ Frelinghuysen et al. (1993), p. 180-186.
- ^ Saarinen, Aline B. Proud Possessors. New York: Random House, 1958, p. 157.
- ^ Willensky, Elliot, and Norval White. AIA Guide to New York City. San Diego: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1988, p. 430.
- ^ Havemeyer (2010), p. 43, 117.
- ^ Havemeyer (2010), p. 50-51.
- ^ Havemeyer II (1944), p. 70.
- ^ "Havemeyer Hall". American Chemical Society. Retrieved 6 December 2013..
- ^ "Mr. Havemeyer's Offer to Greenwich" New York Times, 9 June 1900. (Link to pdf.)
- ^ "H.O. Havemeyer Dead," The Sun, 5 December 1907.
- ^ "H.O. Havemeyer Dies at L.I. Home," New York Times, 5 December 1907. (Link to pdf.)
- ^ Catlin Jr. (1988), p. 420-421.
- ^ "Henry O. Havemeyer Laid in Greenwood," New York Times, 8 December 1907. (Link to pdf.)
Bibliography
- Catlin Jr., Daniel (1988). Good Work Well Done: the Sugar Business Career of Horace Havemeyer, 1903-1956. New York: privately printed.
- Frelinghuysen, Alice Cooney; Tinterow, Gary; Stein, Susan Alyson; Wold, Gretchen; Meech, Julia (1993). Splendid Legacy: The Havemeyer Collection. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 978-0-300-08617-1.
- Havemeyer, Harry W. (2010). Henry Osborne Havemeyer: "The Most Independent Mind". New York: Privately Printed. ISBN 978-1-935202-73-8.
- Havemeyer, Harry W. (1989). Merchants of Williamsburgh. New York: privately printed.
- Havemeyer II, Henry O. (1944). Biographical Record of the Havemeyer Family. New York: privately printed.
- Havemeyer, Louisine W. (1993) [1961]. Sixteen to Sixty: Memoirs of a Collector. New York: Ursus Press. ISBN 1-883145-00-7.
- Saarinen, Aline B. (1958). Proud Possessors. New York: Random House.
- Vogt, Paul L. (1908). The Sugar Refining Industry in the United States. Its development and present condition. Publications of the University of Pennsylvania. Series in political economy and public law,no. 21. Philadelphia: Pub. for the University.
- Weitzenhoffer, Frances (1986). The Havemeyers: Impressionism comes to America. New York: H.N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN 978-0-8109-1096-6.
External links
- Online Biography Archived 2011-05-19 at the Wayback Machine
- Henry Osborne Havemeyer at Find a Grave
- The Havemeyer Family Papers relating to Art Collecting in The Metropolitan Museum of ArtArchives.
- Online edition of Frits Lugt's Les marques de collection de dessins & d'estampes
- The H. O. Havemeyer Collection, a collection catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries