The Von Lengerke & Antoinne or V L & A Partnership was formed in early
1891, and quickly became a very prominent Sporting Goods Retailer in
Chicago Located ultimately at 335 Wabash Avenue in Downtown Chicago. The
V L & A Partnership was formed as an extension of a New York Sporting
Goods Retail Company known as Von Lengerke & DeMond which was started a
short time prior to V L & A. At the same time in New York another
prominent Sporting Goods Retailer was starting business in 1892 called
Abercrombie & Fitch. The Significance to this is for many years from 1892
through 1938 these 2 retailers not only fought for market share catering
to an upscale customer base, but both retailers also used the same motto
“GREATEST SPORTING GOODS RETAILER IN THE WORLD”.
Like Abercrombie & Fitch the Von Lengerke & Antoinne products were from
the finest manufacturers, and appealed to an upscale clientele. Pertinent
to what we do here are a few of the product lines they sold H. H. Heiser,
George Lawrence Company, Colt, Winchester among a large array of goods
offered both through catalog ordering or by going to the retail store. In
1938 the V L & A Chicago Company after losing faith in the public eye was
bought out by Abercrombie & Fitch although they did operate under the V L
& A name until the closing of the store in the early 1960s. The downfall
of V L & A can be somewhat associated with their less than attractive
history in Chicago from the late 1920s through the late 1930s when the
company sold out. In the late 1920s with the coming depression
Chicago was home to the Capone & Moran Gangs running liquor and crime in
the city, and bringing with them a blood bath of murders during this time
period. The Von Lengerke & Antoinne or V L & A Chicago Company would have
been on what was considered Al Capone’s turf, and with V L & A selling
firearms, holsters, ammunition etc. the store was frequently shopped by
Capone gang members, and maybe even Big Al himself. On February 14, 1929
the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre occurred at 2122 North Clark Street in
Chicago, Illinois 7 men were killed by machine gun fire by 5 of Al
Capone’s gang members. They later found 2 of the machine guns used in the
massacre and through ballistics testing these 2 Colt Thompson Machine Guns
were proven as the weapons used in the massacre. Later through serial
number research they were proven to have been sold by colt, and delivered
to Von Lengerke & Antoinne or V L & A Chicago. In the subsequent press
coverage
Marks:
