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   Angelus Shoe Polish was not even a dream when the young Greek immigrant, Paul T. Angelos, arrived at Ellis Island.  Making his way to Chicago, Paul shined shoes and saved enough money to go to Los Angeles.  After arriving in Los Angeles penniless, he secured a job at a large shine stand.  Paul saved enough money to open his own shine stand.  Through hard work and long hours, he was able to send money for his brothers, George and Louie, to join him.  Soon there were 14 employees and three shine stands; Sixth Street – opposite the Hayward Grill, Fifth Street – opposite the Alexandria Hotel, and one next door to The Pantages Theater.  After being crowned, “King of the Bootblacks”, Paul was able to make the return trip to Greece to marry his sweetheart.  Many years later, Paul would tell his grandchildren what an experience it was to return to Greece on the Ocean Liner, Mauritania First Class, which was the same ship that brought him Steerage to American years before.  How fortunate his family was to be able to come to this country where freedom, success, and happiness were possible through honesty and hard work.

   Arriving back in Los Angeles with his bride, the decision was made to start making a few items to use on their shine stands.  Soon, other bootblacks started wondering what the Angelos boys were using on their shine stands and started asking where they could buy some.  The demand for Angelus products started to grow until the poor kitchen stove could not keep up with demand.  A small shop was then opened on Winston Street.  The brothers, cousins, and brother-in-laws, all split time between their shine stands and their new manufacturing plant.  It was not long before the plant demanded full time attention.  The decision was made to sell the shine stands and devote all their energies into making shoe polish. Some of the family worked in the plant while others took to the road where they covered the country with their sample cases.  When necessary, they rolled up their shirt sleeves and worked in the repair shops or shined shoes to demonstrate the quality of the Angelus products.  In 1917, the Angelus trademark was registered.  In 1924, a new five-story plant was built on Maple Avenue in Los Angeles.  In the early 1930’s, Paul’s son George joined the family business on a full time basis.  Demand continued to grown for the Angelus products throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s.

   At the end of World War II in 1947, with most of the principles of the business reaching well into retirement age, a decision was made to sell the business.  The Angelos “boys” retained the building so the new owner of Angelus, moved to the former Santa Cola bottling plant in Culver City California.  Many changes were made to Angelus, sadly none for the good.  The new owners felt that more money should be made and why use the expensive ingredients in the shoe polish.  As a result, a good business with a reputation for unmatched quality and service was brought down to almost nothing.

   In 1953, Paul and his son George bought back Angelus Shoe Polish.  They went to what they knew best – honesty, quality, and hard work.  Any merchandise that was defective was taken back and refunds or new product delivered.  Sid Solomon, their salesman would question Paul, “You cannot take back this much merchandise, especially products that you did not even make!”  Paul’s reply, “It has our name on it and we will make it good.  It matters little who actually made it!”  As a young boy, my first job at Angelus was working beside my father and grandfather washing out hundreds of thousands of bottles of returned merchandise.  We were the only plant employees.  Finally after mastering the art of bottle scrubbing, I graduated to packing and mixing.  The only equipment we had in those days was the cooling tunnel for paste polish, one old noisy cream mixer, a few tanks, and wooden paddles for mixing.  Filling the product was done with a hose and funnel.  Capping was done by blistered hands.  Slowly but surely the demand for Angelus grew again.  Soon additional machines were bought and employees hired.  Angelus remained in Culver City for 59+ years before moving to a larger facility in Santa Fe Springs, California.

   Today, as the last original shareholder of Angelus Shoe Polish, I am as proud of our product and reputation as my grandfather was the first time he touched his fingers to a can of polish, shined a pair of shoes, and was flipped a dime for a job well done.  It is my promise to all my family that have been involved at Angelus Since 1907, that we will not compromise the basic principles on which our company was founded:  Honesty, Hard Work, Quality Products, and Great Service.

      PAUL G. ANGELOS, PRESIDENT

ArtResin is non-toxic (when used as directed) so it's not bad for your health like other resins. No VOCs. No fumes. No solvents. Non-flammable. Non-hazardous. Conforms to ASTM D4236 (Safe for Home Use when used in a well ventilated area). 

ArtResin is chemically engineered to offer the
most efficient yellowing
protection on the market. Its advanced stabilization additives provide superior, long-term clarity.

ArtResin is self-levelling, its 1:1 mixing ratio is user-friendly and we offer a million easy how-to videos. Almost a million :)

Designed to look gorgeous and    be strong and durable.       Clear. Glossy. Shiny. Thick. Solid. Hard. Pro. ArtResin increases the attractiveness and value of whatever it's used on!

Art Spectrum® manufacturers the finest artists’ colours including: oils, watercolours, gouache, pastels, inks, mediums, primers, including pads & visual diaries to supply the education market.

Founded in Melbourne by David Keys Snr, an artist and RMIT lecturer, Art Spectrum® has grown to be the leading Fine Art brand in Australia, manufacturing Oil Colours, Watercolours, Gouache, Pastels, Inks, Primers, Mediums, Varnishes and Solvents. We are renowned for our unique Australian colours and our traditional European methods.

Art Spectrum® also has a comprehensive range of supporting products that complement any artists’ requirements which include the world’s first pastel surface paper Colourfix™, canvas and stretcher bars, papers and pads, brushes, painting and palette knives.

It originated as a co-op run by a group of local painters who sourced knowledge and machinery required to produce materials that would meet the needs of the local art community.

Aves Products enable artists to design, create, build & restore at extraordinary levels for over 35 years. Our self-hardening, synthetic clays & maches offer the highest quality & performance available. We invite you to experience our products for yourself… Let Your Imagination Soar!

Unlimited Uses: Arts & Crafts, Action Figures, Original Sculpting, Impressions, Mosaic Work, Toy/Doll Repair, Model Horses, Trains, Planes & Automobiles, Antique Restoration, Home Repairs, Mending, Filling & Bonding, Boats/Cars, Model Making, Outdoor Displays, Scenery, Dioramas, Special Effects, Props, Museum Exhibits, Wildlife Art, Antler Repairs, Detailed Finishing, Woodcarving, Statue Work, School Projects, Prototypes, Jewelry, Aquariums, Theme Parks, Industry & Much More!

Excellency
Over 450 years of experience gives us unique expertise and know-how. Our ambition is to offer all artists products of the highest quality that inspire and give them confidence. And all our customers recognize us this excellence of quality.

Tradition
Created in 1557 by the Montgolfier family, the evolution and destiny of Canson ® are closely linked to the history of France and the history of art. Anchored in tradition, it respects the inheritance and the requirements to always deliver to the consumer a paper of excellence.

Innovation
Innovation is part of the company's genes. The Montgolfier invent the first hot air balloon in 1782. But they are primarily paper manufacturers. The company, over the centuries, creates many manufacturing processes such as the Dutch stack to shear the cloth, mass coloring to get a paper color even in the heart ... They also innovate with the wove paper and then the tracing paper in 1809. Canson ® obtained in 1865 a patent for a photographic paper which simplifies the printing operations.

Canson ® continues to offer products that are more in line with consumer expectations: school bags, technical drawings, art editions, papers for photography and digital art publishing ...

Internationalization
As early as 1926, Canson ® set up a subsidiary in New York. This is the beginning of a strong internationalization. Canson ® is now present in nearly 150 countries worldwide and world leader in fine art paper.

Accessibility
Canson ® is a mark of excellence. But we are also a company that seeks simple answers to the needs of our consumers whether they are professional artists or schoolchildren 

Note: Prices and Availability are subject to change without prior notice.

If the item you ordered is out-of-stock, you will receive an out-of-stock email notice and the item will be removed from your order. Please note that you will not be charged for any out of stock items. You will only be charged for items that will be shipped.

Established in 1993 the CONDA Group is now the leading art material supply company in China with distributors in more than 100 countries.The CONDA philosophy is simple - we aim to deliver a “one stop” fine art solution to amateur and professional artists worldwide and also service all the requirements of hobbyists and crafters.

Our 66000 sq/mtr manufacturing base, modern art material factory in China, is located on Daxie Island 40 kilometers East of Ningbo City and 20 minutes from the international seaport. The factory is custom designed to produce easels, stretched canvas, brushes, portfolios, colors, etc. In addition CONDA has a totally independent factory manufacturing canvas in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

We also have an important Research and Development team that leads our industry with new product ideas and we are particularly proud that new R&D products currently represent 10% of our sales. CONDA also offers a totally integrated sourcing and product development service.

Logistics and communication is a very important part of our business and we have developed our own systems to monitor every order received, communicate manufacturing lead times and supervise dispatch dates – this department is managed by a team of multi lingual executives.

The CONDA brand name is registered in over 30 countries – we are an ISO 9001 approved company - we listen to what our customers require and this is what makes Conda the best manufacturer of art materials in China.

CONDA should always be YOUR FIRST CHOICE !

Making beautiful, innovative, and high-quality artists paints, which perform consistently from tube to tube, year after year, makes DANIEL SMITH paints the choice for artists’ worldwide.

A Brief History

Since 1964 Derivan has been committed to providing the arts community with the world's finest-quality artist acrylic colours and mediums. The founders of the company had a vision "to make available to artists worldwide a premium paint, whilst remaining environmentally and socially responsible". This was to be achieved while still maintaining the quality and personal touch that only a family company can provide. We have succeeded in just that, and Derivan has consequently grown from a tiny affair (operating out of stables in Sydney's inner city) to the multinational operation that it is today. With manufacturing sites spanning 3 continents, we have not lost sight of the fact that at the end of the day, we are here to provide the finest products that can be made, guided by the requirements of our customers. This is our promise to you, the artist, and is realised in our Matisse range of premium acrylics and mediums, all made to the highest standards to ensure not only the most brilliant and pure results, but a safety in the knowledge that your work will not crack, fade, or change over time in any way.

Derivan Innovations

In the Derivan range of school products, we produced a world-first in the 1960s - "student grade acrylic" - then successfully introduced completely non-toxic screen inks and block inks where previously inks containing toxic solvents were the only choice.

In the 1970s it came to our attention that our children's paint was being used to paint children's faces at fairs and school fetes. Although the paint was non-toxic, it was not formulated for prolonged use on the skin, so Derivan set about formulating another world-first: Face and Body Paint, which has seen increasing sales ever since!

Into the 21st century Derivan is as committed to new and exciting innovations as ever. Our Liquid Pencil formula is completely unique, and offers a number of advantages over traditional pencils and inks. Our brand-new Dry Mediums range provides a new and flexible way for artists to experiment with a practically unlimited variety of textural effects.

Community Support

Derivan is an equal opportunities employer. Derivan is constantly involved with and supports both local community and charity, and art promotion projects across Australia and the world. Derivan is at the forefront of employing environmentally sound practices both in the manufacturing of the products and in the products themselves.

See also our dedicated Sustainability web page.

What's In A Name?

The name Derivan originated from an early period in our history, in the mid 1960’s, when the company entrusted with registering our initial trademark name returned to us and explained that the originally chosen name was “unavailable” in some countries, in other words a similar name was already registered or in some cases patent laws in place prevented it from being registered. They suggested that it would be prudent to choose a few “derivatives” to give their company some lee-way in the patent registration process.

To satisfy the trademark attorneys - the initials of the team in the office at that time were put in a “hat” and from it drew out the letters that would inspire them to come up with a distinctively individual (and registrar-able) name. That name became “Derivan” – a word that meant or had reference to nothing in particular, neither someone’s nor a place’s name; in essence, a unique and without comparison word.
A word that would conform with the restrictions of patent laws encountered in the process. A word that would echo the creative nature of that initial vision shared by a group of artists to make available a high grade of paint products, manufactured by artists for artists.

The name "Matisse" itself was originally only the project name for a product range in development at the time, which came about because one of the first people to get involved was obsessed with the work of Henri Matisse - the name stuck!

For generations, artists have chosen and trusted the Derwent® brand for art materials around the world. With a proud heritage dating back to 1832, Derwent’s innovation comes from a deep understanding of artists. Derwent appreciates that their needs and aspirations may change over their artistic life, and with this in mind has produced a range of art materials that span from the first colouring pencil to the highest professional quality products ­– the majority of which are made in their British manufacturing plant in The Lake District, Cumbria, in the UK.

Quality, craftsmanship and innovation are key cornerstones of the Derwent brand. This is achieved by setting stringent quality control in the production of all products across a wide array of art categories. Perfecting the art of pencil manufacturing in the Lake District over generations, Derwent’s wide range of pencils is synonymous with quality and craftsmanship. Artistry is threaded through the core of every Derwent product, delivering world-class artists’ materials at every stage of the creative journey.

Derwent is excited to announce that 2017 will see the rollout of the new brand strategy which gives a clear segmentation of the ranges, supporting Derwent’s vision of bringing to market art materials at every stage of the creative journey. Derwent’s new marketing communications will also carry the strapline ‘Drawn to Perfection,’ which captures the essence of the historic brand and its commitment to the creation of innovative high quality art materials.

The involvement and collaboration of artists is fundamental to Derwent, featuring work from international artists on its full range of products, as well as representing consumers’ opinions in focus groups thereby reaffirming their long-standing commitment to the art and hobbyist community. Recently, a new selection of Artists pencils was launched, as a result of numerous requests from artists who needed a range of white and black pencils which could offer a spectrum of hues and tones. In summary, Derwent seeks to give consumers, above all else, a highly personalized experience which meets their individual artistic requirements.

Elmer's has been producing the most well known line of consumer adhesives for over sixty-five years.

Today, Elmer's offers a complete line of adhesives for school, craft, home & office and repair, as well as a line of presentation materials including foam boards and project display boards.

At Elmer's, our mission is to help people create, build and learn for life. From teachers to woodworkers, and DIY'ers to Crafters, Elmer's has a product line specially designed to meet changing consumer needs and to help ensure successful results.

Elmer's is a company rich in history and tradition.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Elmer's, the company that invented school glue, has been producing the most well-known line of consumer glue and adhesives for over six decades.

The company was originally part of the Borden® Company, which introduced the first consumer white glue in 1947. Under the trade name "Cascorez Glue," the glue was packaged in glass bottles with "ice cream pop" type wooden sticks attached with a rubber band. Shortly thereafter, the glue was repositioned under the name "Elmer's Glue-All" after Elmer, the spouse of Borden's famed corporate symbol, Elsie the cow.

Faber-Castell, established in 1761 by the cabinet maker Kaspar Faber (1730-1784†), is one of the oldest industrial companies in the world.  The company is the world’s leading manufacturer of wood-cased pencils with a varied range of products for writing, drawing and creative design, as well as decorative cosmetics.  Faber-Castell is renowned for its high quality, innovative products, commitment to tradition, and environmental awareness.

Lothar von Faber (Fourth generation, 1817-1896†) took over the family business in 1839.  He is remembered, in particular, as a pioneer of the branded article who in creating his own brand name set a new standard that became a yardstick – not just for this line of business, but also for the generations who later headed the company. “From the start I was determined to raise myself to the highest rank by making the best that can be made in the world.” 

Today the eighth generation family member Count Anton-Wolfgang von Faber-Castell, who took over as head of the company in 1978, has been instrumental in new product development and the expansion of international activities.  Count Faber-Castell takes delight in rediscovering products from the past and recreating them with timeless design and modern technology. 

In 1999, Faber-Castell acquired Creativity for Kids, the leading U.S. specialty manufacturer of creative activity products for children of all ages and moved their U.S. headquarters to Cleveland, Ohio. The very next year, the company introduced Premium Children’s Art Products, originally known as Faber-Castell’s Red Range of art supplies for children or the Playing & Learning Line in the United States.  The products were enjoying huge success around the world, but had not been introduced into the U.S. market which was only familiar with the Faber-Castell Professional Artist Products and writing pencils.  The Creativity for Kids acquisition opened up the potential for further worldwide growth of the Creativity for Kids brand and helped facilitate the entry of the Premium Children’s Art Product line into the U.S. specialty toy market.

Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Faber-Castell USA is part of the Faber-Castell family of companies that was founded in Stein, Germany. Under the direction of CEO Jamie Gallagher, Faber-Castell USA offers children and adults a wide array of quality branded products with true points of difference through its “Companion for Life” Portfolio. After growing up in Pittsburgh, PA and graduating from the University of Notre Dame, Jamie began what is now a more than 30 year career in the children’s products industries. For sixteen years he was a key sales and marketing team member with LEGO working both in the US and Canadian markets. He then continued the trend of working with high quality, privately held toy brands by serving as head of Playmobil USA. In the summer of 2003, Jamie assumed his current role as President and CEO of Faber-Castell USA. Jamie has remained very active within the Toy Industry of America where he has served as a Board member, Executive Committee member, and Committee Chair for more than 10 years.

In 2004 Faber-Castell USA moved to a new facility in Cleveland, with a larger warehouse space to accommodate increased activity as a distribution center with the majority of production shifting overseas. Within a consistently competitive U.S. market, the company has sustained growth by concentrating on incremental sales opportunities, fine-tuning the various product lines, and an emphasis on delivering great service.

2011 was a milestone year for Faber-Castell USA as it launched its new brand, Design Memory Craft and celebrated both the 250th Anniversary of Faber-Castell and 35 years of Creativity for Kids – the acquired brand created by two women, Phyllis Brody and Evelyn Greenwald, who believed in the power of creativity in children's lives.  This conviction came from their own childhood play experiences, those of their children and the many workshops and classroom programs that brought them into contact with children around the world.  It began with what they called the “turkey syndrome” – a term they coined based on their children’s classroom art activity (a traced handprint) during the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday season. Although a cute decoration idea, they thought it resulted in too much uniformity in an activity where uniqueness was the goal.  It was their opinion that children do need to learn to follow rules and conform in many areas, but when it comes to “art” individuality should be encouraged.  Their anti- cookie-cutter, paint-by-number approach became a key attribute in the development of Creativity for Kids. 

Today Faber-Castell operates 14 production sites in 10 countries, markets its products through 25 sales/distribution organizations and is represented in 120 different countries.  In addition, Creativity for Kids is represented in 50 countries around the world. The Creativity for Kids brand continues its well-deserved reputation as a consistent provider of quality, innovative, and thoughtful products for children that consist of both classic and trendy creative activities. Today, many Creativity for Kids products include Faber-Castell art supplies as components that enrich the creative experience. Creativity for Kids craft kits have received many awards from organizations such as Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Dr. Toy, The National Parenting Center, ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailing Association) and the TIA (Toy Industry Association), plus recognition in national publications such as Parents Magazine and Good Housekeeping.

Faber-Castell USA is proud of its longevity and what it represents – consistent delivery of a quality experience in all areas of business. More than 150 years after the company’s first appearance in the United States, Lothar von Faber’s legacy is nicely summed up in his own statement, “From the start I was determined to raise myself to the highest rank by making the best that can be made in the world.  
Faber-Castell USA is committed to staying true to this vision of quality, tradition, and innovation now and in the future.

About Gamblin Artists Colors

Sam at Bocour Creating First Acrylic

During one visit an artist gave Sam a honey like resin and asked if it could be made into paint. Sam recognized that this idea would require experimentation as the early batches of the new paint seemed to dry before the paint was applied. Between 1946 and 1949, and after much trial and error, the first artist acrylic paint was ready for production. One of the earliest artists to use the paint "Magna", was Morris Louis. Sam eventually developed a more popular waterborne version of the acrylic, "Aquatec." He continued to refine the chemistry of acrylic paints working with artists for the next 20 years to find what worked and what did not.

Golden Artist Colors Begins in 1980

After 30 years in the paint making business, Sam retired and moved to picturesque New Berlin, New York. Sam planned to fish and golf, but quickly grew bored with retirement and found himself "going to the barn to make paint for friends." At the age of 67 Sam decided to come out of retirement.

Golden Artist Colors, Inc. began in June of 1980 in a 900 square foot, renovated barn. Sam, his wife Adele, son Mark and daughter-in-law Barbara Golden along with partner Chuck Kelly, founded a new company that would embody Sam's dedication to professional artists, work Sam described as simply "making tools for artists."

The first four years were financially challenging. Sam and Adele used every resource they had to keep the business alive. Mark took weekly trips to New York City to sell products to artists and continue the conversation that had made Bocour so successful.

The business began to succeed with very loyal support the product was gaining from professional artists. 

GOLDEN Expands in 1985

In 1985, the addition of a factory to the original cow barn gave the company 6,200 square feet of space. As the building grew, so did product lines. The original Heavy Body and Iridescent Acrylics grew to include Fluid, Matte and Interference Acrylics.

GOLDEN Celebrates 10th Anniversary

As the GOLDEN brand gained respect in the artist community, more and more retail stores began to sell GOLDEN product. To meet the growing demand another addition to the corporate headquarters was completed in 1990. The 13,000 square foot expansion added office, production and inventory space as well as a gallery. In July 1990, Golden Artist Colors celebrated its tenth anniversary and Sam Golden's 50th anniversary of paint making.

The company received many local and national awards including the 1991 Business Arts Award by the Chenango County Chamber of Commerce and the Council of the Arts. Mark Golden received the 1996 Small Business Person of the Year from the US Small Business Administration, Golden Artist Colors was featured on the NBC Nightly News as a successful small business. In 1998 Mark Golden was selected by Fortune Magazine to appear in a video series on small business.

Sam Golden Passes Away in 1997

GOLDEN added 31,000 square feet to the facility in 1997 and took down the "old barn". But the surge in growth, sales and employees that year was eclipsed by sadness when Sam Golden died at age 82, on March 11, 1997. Sam left behind a legacy of participation in the creative process of artists and their materials.

GOLDEN Becomes Employee Owned in 2002

Golden Artist Colors, Inc. became an employee owned company in 2002 and in 2010, employees became the majority owners of the company. And despite worldwide distribution, GOLDEN product is still created on the grounds of the original barn in New Berlin using the highest standards for consistency and quality.

OPEN Acrylics Launched in 2008

In 2008 Golden Artist Colors launched OPEN Acrylics, a new line of colors and mediums with exceptionally slow drying characteristics to allow artists to blend and rework acrylic paint in ways only possible previously with oils. OPEN introduces a completely new opportunity for artists and represents the kind of product innovation and commitment to artists that Sam imparted on the company that bears his name.

GOLDEN Acquires Williamsburg Oil Colors

Golden Artist Colors assumes responsibility for realizing Carl Plansky's dream for truly unique oil paints and mediums that reflect not only the traditions of painting in Europe and North America, but the artist's passion that drives them forward. Carl himself claimed that only Golden Artist Colors could make oil paints with the integrity and style he envisioned and today Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors offers the largest palette of oil colors available.

ABOUT

Since 1905, Grumbacher has been a brand trusted by students, professors, art conservationists, and professional artists throughout the US.  Max Grumbacher established his company’s humble beginnings by hand making brushes at his kitchen table in New York City.  By the 1960s Grumbacher became an art materials empire offering artists nearly every supply imaginable. Today, the Grumbacher brand is owned by Chartpak, Inc., a creative products company committed to adhering to the impeccable standards set by Max Grumbacher.  Chartpak Inc. welcomes the responsibility for ensuring Grumbacher’s continued legacy as an American tradition. We lead the way by setting strict standards of exemplary quality and consistent performance for our materials. Our standards of quality and excellence have resulted in the Grumbacher brand becoming an American tradition.

We take great satisfaction in knowing that artists trust our brand when creating their artwork. Our multi-media products, educational services, and online artists’ community (thalo) exemplify Grumbacher’s commitment to growing and adapting to the ever-changing environment of the fine and graphic art industries.

We take pride in being an American art material manufacturer and a leader in the industry.

HIGGINS: A HISTORY

Where did Higgins Ink come from, and who invented it?  Two men who share equal credit for the existence of this world-famous ink.  

 Gold, Silver, and Ink!

 Higgins ink made its first appearance in the west during the gold rush era.  Rufus L. Higgins was an entrepreneur in Virginia City, Nevada — the center of the Comstock gold mining boom of the 1850s - the 1880s. He established several general stores starting in 1863 and purchased a soda mine in 1868, all of which served the ever-growing mining community of the Comstock load. During this time, Rufus created one of the few inks produced in the west and sold it in the only known customized embossed ink bottles in Virginia City.  There are no known formulas or patents for his ink, but it did very well in the region. He distributed his ink in the early 1870s through Pioneer Book Store, the only book store in the city. As more people flocked to the Gold and Silver mines in Virginia City, Rufus' business boomed. He expanded his offering to include stationery and music items, which complemented his ink. Soon after, misfortune replaced success when his store burned down in the great Virginia City fire of 1875. In 1876 he left Virginia City never to be heard from again.  Records for Rufus seem to end with his bankruptcy and the loss of his business.

 It's curious that Higgins American Indian ink was launched in 1880 by Charles Higgins, shortly after Rufus left Virginia City. Charles Higgins was a patent solicitor in Brooklyn, New York, during the time Rufus was operating his businesses in Virginia City. Charles would seek out usable inventor's ideas to patent. His inventions of the "American Indian ink" and the "Eternal Ink" were said to have happened while experimenting with dyes and inks at his sister's kitchen table. There is some speculation that the two Higgins ink men were related, and that Rufus had sold his formulas to Charles or worked with him to create the Higgins Ink Company. No known supporting documentation exists, however, and so the timing and common surname linking the two Higgins inks remains coincidental.

If Rufus was the first to sell Higgins ink, then it was Charles who patented and marketed the inks worldwide. The most popular periodicals of the day used Higgins Inks and recommended them to artists and others in the publishing industry.  Charles also used artists' testimonials to promote his inks, creating a niche in the art world that would take his brand across the globe to be the most well-loved India ink of its time.

 The Higgins Bottle

The bottles Rufus L. Higgins first used in Virginia City, Nevada are some of the rarest of ink bottles in the US. In 2001, one of the bottles sold at auction for $18,000. However, Charles' patented design has become the iconic shape and size ink bottle that has been used, with various revisions, into the 21st century. Charles died in 1929, and his son Tracy took over the business. Since then, it has changed hands several times until Chartpak, Inc. purchased the company from Sanford, who had converted the bottle to plastic and sold it under their Design line of art products. Chartpak restored the branding to the original Higgins name in 2007.   Even more updates are in store for the brand in 2020, including new lines of ink and a new look!

A Family Business
Jack Richeson & Co., Inc. got its start on the third floor of an 1890s Victorian house in the Historic Old Third Ward of Appleton, Wisconsin.

"My wife let me utilize the living room, one bedroom and part of the kitchen to handle the inventory. When my son Darren graduated from college with his degree in finance, instead of following what could have been a brilliant career in 'Big Business', he chose to give it all up to take care of 'ole Dad.

My daughter, Kelly, joined the family in the accounting department and my son, Shawn, came to take over the beginnings of manufacturing and the warehouse after we moved the operation to our current building in Kimberly, Wisconsin. Soon after, my oldest daughter, Colleen, joined to handle sales and marketing and my son Michael came aboard with critical programming and IT skills. Shawn's wife, Kelly, had been involved in key positions in the company and now heads up our paint manufacturing department.

Colleen's daughter, Jackie, also decided to join the family business in 1995, and after short stints in shipping, receiving and customer service, has landed herself in the role of safety and compliance manager."

- Jack Richeson, CEO

Art School and Gallery

In November of 2004, we broke ground on a 25,000 square foot addition to our building, allowing us to make room for the Jack Richeson School of Art and Gallery. Our family has a collection of over two hundred paintings that are on display as part of a permanent, not-for-sale, collection. Then, one third of the gallery is reserved for well-known contemporary painters to exhibit their work. The last and most important third is for new and unknown painters. We want them to get exposure.

In the middle of the building is our classroom. We are proud to utilize local teachers to teach every variety of art. Every few months, we bring in a nationally known painter for a special workshop. We open the Art School for local painters to come in and paint, chat and talk about their work. We also offer the space to be used for meetings and business receptions. And this is only the beginning!

PIONEERS IN THE FINE ARTS INDUSTRY

THE STORY IN COLOR: A FRENCH EPIC

A LEGACY MARKED BY THE SEAL OF PASSION

We Are Paper

Making paper is an art. We represent centuries of tradition and mastery in fine art papers. Since our 1994 inception, we have traveled the globe searching for the finest papers from the finest manufacturers. To date, we offer more than three thousand existing papers from sixteen countries but our quest continues. Collaborating with some of the most legendary artists and renowned mills, we are known as the world's most relentless innovator in the art of papermaking. We constantly aim to be ahead of the curve. We listen to your needs and seek out new ways for you to enhance your work. We add value to creative work. We put vision into paper. We are paper.

The history of Legion Paper started in March 1994 in New York when art paper salesmen Michael Ginsburg and Len Levine decided to join forces. Combining their unique expertise, they vowed to play a pioneering role in the world of fine art paper. In the words of Joshua Levine, current CEO and son of co-founder Len Levine: “They had bigger eyes. They were at a point in their lives where they could just have decided to make a good living selling paper. Instead they chose to create something new, something impactful and everlasting.”

TRAVELING THE GLOBE

Such a mission entails never ending travel. In the nineties, Michael and Len traveled to centuries-old German mills, visited legendary Italian manufacturers, Nepalese villages at the foot of the Himalayas, handmade paper makers in the Northern regions of Thailand and mills on Japanese islands. They weren’t just traveling to bring paper home, they wouldn’t only limit themselves to selling what the mills were offering. Instead, they wanted to know what the mill was capable of making. Could these machines and handmade paper craftsmen make what the fine art market wanted?

LISTENING TO ARTISTS

This had been Ginsburg’s strategy from the start of his career. Since the early seventies, he has invested much of his time in listening to artists. He asked them: “What is your perfect paper? What does this ideal paper look like? What does it feel like? What color palette is desired?” With that information, Michael traveled to mills he knew had the capability of producing the best substrates. By trial and error, going back and forth between the mills and the artists, Ginsburg would come back with trials of paper his artists had asked for. Len, at the time Ginsburg’s competitor, was experimenting with new US-made 100% cotton papers for high-end fine art reproduction. So together, they set out to know exactly which mill was capable of making the papers they had in mind. This is still the method we use at Legion Paper. Half a century later, we still listen to the wishes of artists and seek out ways to make them come true.

HISTORIC FINE ART PAPER MILLS

Joshua Levine is convinced there isn’t a fine art paper mill in the world Legion doesn’t know of. “We represent more than 60 paper mills in sixteen countries. Some of our European mills have centuries-old expertise in the art of papermaking. The German Zerkall mill, for instance, dates back to the seventeenth century and produces some of the finest quality mould-made papers in the world. This mill created the letter invitations for Napoleon’s wedding to Marie-Louise of Austria. The 600 year old Italian Magnani mill, is said to have provided the paper on which Da Vinci made his storied sketches and paintings. As true paper connoisseurs, it doesn’t get much better than this.”

“Apart from having a fascinating history, the mills we work with have fascinating abilities, offering endless possibilities in paper making. Before our arrival many of them weren’t producing art papers. We collaborate with them to manufacture papers we designed. Nobody knows the capabilities of more fine pap