Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Collection |
Waterloo Region Museum |
Object ID |
2013.051.001.003 |
Object Name |
Catalog, Trade |
Title |
Life-Buoy Tennis and Outing Shoes |
Description |
Small catalogue printed on pale green coated paper. The pages are stapled together in the centre. The title is printed along the upper edge with "November 1st, 1910" printed above. The Life-Buoy logo is printed in the centre with "For Season 1911" printed below. Printed along the lower edge is "Manufactured by/The/Kaufman Rubber Co./Limited/Berlin, Canada/No.2". A supplement page has been adhered to the second page of the catalogue. The interior pages contain images of the outing shoes, sizes available, and their prices. On the last page of the catalogue is an image of the factory building. |
Date |
1910 |
Date |
1911 |
History |
The Kaufman Rubber Company was founded in 1907 by Jacob Kaufman (1847-1920) in Berlin, ON. The factory began production in 1908 and produced rubber footwear for domestic and foreign markets. In 1920, Jacob's son, Alvin Ratz Kaufman (1885-1979), became president of the company until 1964 when he retired to become Chairman of the Board. During this time the company's product line expanded to include industrial rubber clothing for fishermen, miners, and policemen. Beginning in 1953, the company also began to manufacture non-rubber footwear, including Foamtread slippers. The company introduced the Sorel line of winter/work boots in 1959. In 1964, Alvin's son, William H. Kaufman (1920-2005), became president of the company and the name was changed to Kaufman Footwear Limited, and then Kaufman Footwear Inc. In 1979, Kaufman Footwear became a division of William H. Kaufman Inc., with William remaining as president until 1986. In 1986, Irvin Weber became president of the footwear division, followed by John Loucks in 1991. In 1997, William's son, Tom Kaufman, became president of the footwear division. In 2000 Kaufman Footwear declared bankruptcy. The Kaufman Footwear factory building was designated in 1996 by the Kitchener LACAC as architecturally and historically significant. The building was originally designed by Albert Kahn, and is located on the corner of Victoria Street and King Street West. In 2005, Andrin Homes began converting the building into condominium loft residences - 270 units in total. |
Search Terms |
Kaufman Rubber Company Limited |