In the 19th century, the most important producer of
tapestries in the world was the city of
Aubusson, in
France. It was there that Mr. Baumgarten found the Foussadier family who were taken to
New York City to work in his company.[2] They had formerly worked at The Royal Windsor Tapestry Manufactory (1876–1890).[3] Antoine, Louis and Jean Foussadier handled the
dyeing and
loom work, whilst the females of the family, Madame Foussadier and her daughter Adrienne did all the
needlework. By 1896 the factory had 40
artisans working full-time. Examples of Baumgarten Tapestries can be seen at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art[2] and in the collections of the
Vanderbilts,
Rockefellers and
Whitneys.
In 1900 the price of a Baumgarten tapestry ranged from US$500 to $1,000 (equivalent to $18,312 and $36,624 in 2023).[6][7] In comparison, at that time the average yearly wage in the
United States was $438 and a school teacher earned $328.
The firm's founder, William Baugarten, died at his home in Washington, D.C., on April 26, 1906.[8]
References
^DeVillo, Stephen Paul (2015). "Baumgarten's Tapestries". The Bronx River in History & Folklore. Charleston, SC: The History Press. pp. 118–120.
ISBN978-1625854902.
^
abTwomey, Bill (2007). The Bronx, in Bits and Pieces. Rooftop Publishing. p. 232.
ISBN978-1600080623.