670 Broadway. Gerstenzang Bros., sorting and assembling flowers.
1917
670 Broadway. Gerstenzang Bros., sorting and assembling flowers.
Gerstenzang Brothers was an artificial flower factory run by Louis and Abraham Gerstenzang located at 670 Broadway.
The company created flowers for millineries throughout the city as well as fruits, vegetables, and feathers. The American Gas Engineering Journal showcased the factory for its excellent use of gas. Boilers in various rooms turned rolls of cotton into ornament, steam was used to dye feathers, and gas-fed flames melted wax to coat the skin of false cherries.
From a tour of the factory in 1918, a guide is quoted as saying: "We have to put the most serious-minded girls we have at the daisy table... Otherwise, they spend most of their time counting the petals mumbling, 'Loves me-loves me not."