STAMP DEALERS BOGERT & DURBIN

The firm of Bogert & Durbin that was incorporated in 1891 is a classic case of the power of branding. R. R. Bogert & Co., New York had for twenty years established a solid reputation and confidence in the global philatelic community. Durbin & Hanes, had done the same for a decade in Philadelphia. But it was four years after the death of L. W. Durbin in 1887 that Bogert & Durbin was formed with Edward Billings Hanes, as if concealing himself behind the name, became its first president. So let it be known that the firm of Bogert & Durbin was posthumous and contained no Durbin at all since he already had left this world four years before the company was formed.

Rudolphus Ritzema Bogert (1842-1907), was born on February 17, 1842, son of Rudolphus Bogert (1811-1866), and Wealthy Jane Gordon (1819-1900), New York City, New York Postage Stamp Dealer. In 1874 he was a founding member of the National Philatelic Society. He had his first office at 227 Harrison Street, Brooklyn, New York, but later in early 1882 removed to the Tribune Building on Nassau Street.

He merged his business with Edward Billings Hanes and Arthur Elijah Tuttle forming a consolidation with Durbin and Hanes in 1891 renaming the merged companies Bogert & Durbin long after the death of Durbin. The firm had $75,000 operating capital. The board of directors included R. R. Bogert, Arthur E Tuttle, William F. Clement, and George R. Tuttle, Hanes was President of the firm, Bogert the Treasurer, and Arthur E. Tuttle, Secretary. They remained in both offices : Durbin & Hanes' city of Philadelphia, and in the Tribune Building, 60 Nassau Street, New York. The New York branch office occupied 1,500 square feet and had six salesman full time filling orders.

 

Bogert retired as a corporate officer in 1900.

In 1904, Bogert was Member No. 73 in the Stamp Collectors Association. He was also a member of the Canadian Philatelic Society.

Bogert died January 23rd 1907 just 3-1/2 weeks before his 65th birthday.

In 1910, Bogert & Durbin was sold to The United States Stamp Company.

Leonidas W. Durbin (1849-1887) was born on August 18, 1849, in Rising Sun, Indiana. From 1861-1865 he served in the Quartermasters Office during the Civil War. In 1865 he entered the banking house of Gaylord, Leavenworth & Co., of St. Louis, Missouri. He moved from St. Louis to Philadelphia in April 1869 to join the firm of Mason & Co.

His stamp dealership was located at 129 South 10th Street, Philadelphia, PA; Burlington, New Jersey. He was formerly from St. Louis, MO. Stamp dealer partner with Ebenezer Locke Mason, Jr., to run the stamp department of Mason & Co.

L. W. Durbin stamp dealer in St. Louis, MO, who ran an advertisement in Mason's Magazine published on the cover. His photograph is published as figure 45 in Mason's Photographic Gallery of the Coin Collectors of the United States No. 1.

The second partnership of Ebenezer Locke Mason, Jr., which was to fund a Coin and Stamp Depot in New York was first met with a mishap when the gentleman Leon W. Durbin, of St. Louis, Missouri, had a near fatal accident with a dumb bell being struck in the head at his temple with a near fatal blow.

 

To read the complete article, see:
BOGERT & DURBIN (https://sites.google.com/a/numismaticmall.com/www/numismaticmall-com/bogert-durbin)

 

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