The Tale of the Tauber's

[Biff42]

In Pennsylvania, where I grew up, there’s an area in the western part of the state known as the “cradle of quarterbacks,” which produced the likes of Dan Marino, Joe Namath, and Joe Montana. Similarly, San Francisco has produced a number of exceptional jacket makers—Peter’s Tailor Made, All Weather, and H&L Block, to name a few. One notable maker was Tauber’s Leathers, which began production in the 1940s.

But what made Tauber’s so special, especially in an era crowded with exceptional jacket makers? I posed that question to @jeo who has extensive knowledge of—and a sizable collection of—vintage leather jackets from many San Francisco Bay Area makers, and he advised,

“This is a mint example of their classic m/c jacket from the ’50s, complete with a mouton collar and featuring what Terry refers to as the “Nob Hill” label. The leather is some of the nicest in my collection. Unlike much of the quality horsehide from the ’40s and ’50s—which tends to be very stiff and heavy—this leather is more plush… dare I even say luxurious. It’s hard to describe, but when you have it in your hands alongside other jackets, you can see and feel the difference.

The leather is VERY similar to two of my Peter’s jackets, which also feature that plush, almost mushy feel while still being super high quality. Not surprisingly, they were both operating in the San Francisco Bay Area, alongside some of the best of all time, including Ralph’s Pugh and Block Bilt. The fit on Tauber’s m/c jackets is also among the best I’ve ever experienced. They clearly knew what they were doing. I see these m/c jackets as true working jackets.”

@tmitchell59 says, “Their longevity in the business is an interesting part of their history. They survived long after others had left the market. They were always regional, but in a large region, the West Coast. They adapted their product line to meet the changing times. These changes are of interest, particularly those related to changes in ownership.

I agree with Jeo, Tauber’s are fine jackets. Yes, at the Top. The Truckers are the best! I have not met a Tauber’s I did not like. One of my favorite leather jackets is a Tauber’s half-belt.”

Who were the Tauber’s?

Researching various San Francisco address directories shows that Tauber’s Leather was very much a family affair. The primary drivers were Harry and Maurice, with Charles and his son Irving joining—and later leaving—the business for other opportunities in the 1960s. The company would ultimately be carried into the mid to late 1980s by Maurice’s son, Ray.

The men behind Tauber’s: Maurice (top), Harry (bottom right),

and Charles Tauber (bottom left).

As was the case with many of the best leather jacket makers from the era, the Tauber’s were Jewish immigrants. For various historical reasons, outside the scope of this post, Eastern European Jewish immigrants frequently gravitated towards the garment industry. This was the case with the Tauber’s, who immigrated to Lynn, Massachusetts, via the United Kingdom, originating from Warsaw, then part of the Russian Empire, in 1906. Their patriarch, Hyman Tauber, completed this naturalization declaration form in 1909 and listed his profession as a shoe cutter:

The 1910 census for the Tauber family shows Maurice (AKA Morris), Charles, and Harry. They were 12, 9, and 2, respectively. Of the three, Harry was the only one of the Tauber’s to be born in the USA.

The Journey West

At some point, likely in the 1930s, the Tauber brothers made their way west to California. Although Tauber’s advertising mentioned 1940 as its inception date, it appears that physical address listings didn’t appear until a few years later, around 1944. That said, they were involved with some iconic clothing companies based in San Francisco before starting their own business.

Maurice’s 1942 draft card shows he was employed at Levis Strauss:

Harry’s draft card shows he was self-employed:

Finally, Charles’ draft card shows employment at the venerable H&L Block in 1942:

The earliest physical location I could find for Tauber’s in the San Francisco address directory was in 1944 where the brothers had one of their first physical locations at 706 Mission:

The next year, the brothers moved shop to another location on Mission:

I’ve spent a considerable amount of time researching address directories for old jacket makers, and it was very common for them to change locations, sometimes every few years. I think this was possible because of the light nature of their manufacturing. This also likely allowed these makers to scale their operations to accommodate demand or to get better rent/visibility.

 

[Biff42]

What about their Nob Hill Location?

One of the earlier labels for Tauber’s is their “Nob Hill” variation:

I reviewed several Tauber listings in various years of the San Francisco address directories and found that most of their listing were for Mission Street and not in the modern-day “Nob Hill” neighborhood. It’s possible that what is considered modern-day Nob Hill and what was considered the same neighborhood back then has changed. Additionally, it’s possible that the Nob Hill name was used for marketing purposes, as their location was close to Nob Hill, an upscale part of the city. Perhaps someone better acquainted with the city and its history can chime in.

Changing Personnel

Sometime in the early to mid 1950’s, Charles left the business to pursue other opportunities at Slater and Sons (AKA Golden Bear). While his son Irving did work as a leather cutter at Tauber’s, he had gotten out of the leather business and into local government, working as a mayor’s aide.

Sadly, Irving passed away in 1969 at 43, and his father passed right behind him, likely due to a broken heart:

San Francisco, California · Sunday, January 05, 1969

Harry left the business in the mid-to-late 1960s and started his own shop, called “Tauber’s on Haight Street,” at 1697 Haight in San Francisco. I searched for archived newspaper ads for the business but found none. If anyone has additional information on Tauber’s on Haight Street, please post it. Harry passed away on 9 Sep 1981.

Maurice and his son Raymond carried on the business after this. Sadly, Maurice passed away in 1970 at 71, leaving his Raymond to carry on the business.

The Later Years

There isn’t a great deal of information about Raymond available in the public records or information that would tell us what his life was like. I was able to contact his niece, who shared the following: “My Uncle Raymond was an artist—he played instruments and painted. He traveled throughout Europe before returning home and taking over the leather shop. My uncle never married. Before he took over the store, my uncles and grandfather made all kinds of leather goods. Raymond later transitioned the business to serve the motorcycle racing crowd.”

It should also be noted that Tauber’s made leather goods for some of the local leather subculture shops like A Taste of Leather:

In the 70’s Raymond transitioned the operation out of the road front space on Mission to a second-floor space at 126 Sutter Street:

Raymond passed away in 1988 at the age of fifty-seven. I could not locate an obituary or even a picture of Raymond, so if anyone has a picture or additional memories about him, please post them here.

The Tauber’s: Resilience and Artistry

The story of Tauber’s Leathers is more than just a history of vintage jackets; it is a testament to the resilience and artistry of a family that helped define the West Coast leather industry. From their roots as immigrants in Massachusetts to their peak years on Mission Street, the Tauber’s maintained a standard of fit and feel that collectors still prize today.

If you are lucky enough to own a vintage Tauber’s, the next time you put it on, consider the journey of the family and the craftsmanship that went into it. I truly believe vintage jackets blend wearable art and history.

 

[tmitchell59]

Thanks again for this Taubers history. I'm sorry I just saw this post. I'm glad to offer my take on Taubers.

I find it most interesting that the family members worked for other leather makers in the Bay Area.

They were not a large maker like CSC, or Block but they made quality products for nearly 50s years in a very small industry.

Now we need to put in some pics of Taubers jackets that represent their long history in the industry. They hung in there by producing what folks wanted, navigation the changes in taste.

 

[Biff42]

I contacted an ebay seller who purchased a bespoke leather jacket from Ray Tauber. These were some of the details he gave me:

"Hi, I met Ray a few times over the years. I do not have the dates or locations documented I am afraid. Only memories. The first time was in a fairly large bustling shop. I thought the his trade was making SFPD motorcycle jackets. I had just bought a used one from The Advertiser, a free weekly paper found on newstands all over SF. I love the light gray leather but it was always too small for me. I visited his store/workplace to get an estimate on a repair on my new jacket. The repair was done virtually for free. This was in the early 80’s.Because the jacket did not fit well a few years later I decided to have Tauber make a new motorcycle jacket for me. This was in the mid 80’s. Finding Tauber was the challenging part. His prior shop was gone. I met someone who told me he was not making jackets any longer, rather he was making leather goods for essentially *** shops around Polk and SOMA. I went to a few of the shops asking about Tauber and found one in SOMA that worked with him. They told me he delivered his goods on Tuesday. I went there and actually found him unpacking brand new leather hats, vests and jock straps. I told him I wanted one of his jackets made for me. He seemed delighted. He invited me to his “shop”. It was an apartment off Polk street. There he took my measurements, got the type and color of leather I wanted and told me to return in a week. $400.The jacket was magnificent and as per my request, the arms were made extra long so when hunched over the gas tank on my old Ducati, the sleeves still reached the middle of my hands. I loved that. While I stopped riding ~15 years ago, the jacket remains in pretty much new condition. I offered the jacket to my kids, who could not be less interested. I guess kids don’t want the Marlon Brando look anymore. Good times."

 

[tmitchell59]

I contacted an ebay seller who purchased a bespoke leather jacket from Ray Tauber. These were some of the details he gave me:

"Hi, I met Ray a few times over the years. I do not have the dates or locations documented I am afraid. Only memories. The first time was in a fairly large bustling shop. I thought the his trade was making SFPD motorcycle jackets. I had just bought a used one from The Advertiser, a free weekly paper found on newstands all over SF. I love the light gray leather but it was always too small for me. I visited his store/workplace to get an estimate on a repair on my new jacket. The repair was done virtually for free. This was in the early 80’s.Because the jacket did not fit well a few years later I decided to have Tauber make a new motorcycle jacket for me. This was in the mid 80’s. Finding Tauber was the challenging part. His prior shop was gone. I met someone who told me he was not making jackets any longer, rather he was making leather goods for essentially *** shops around Polk and SOMA. I went to a few of the shops asking about Tauber and found one in SOMA that worked with him. They told me he delivered his goods on Tuesday. I went there and actually found him unpacking brand new leather hats, vests and jock straps. I told him I wanted one of his jackets made for me. He seemed delighted. He invited me to his “shop”. It was an apartment off Polk street. There he took my measurements, got the type and color of leather I wanted and told me to return in a week. $400.The jacket was magnificent and as per my request, the arms were made extra long so when hunched over the gas tank on my old Ducati, the sleeves still reached the middle of my hands. I loved that. While I stopped riding ~15 years ago, the jacket remains in pretty much new condition. I offered the jacket to my kids, who could not be less interested. I guess kids don’t want the Marlon Brando look anymore. Good times."

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I saw this interesting jacket and story on ebay. Thanks for following through with his additional comments. So interresting as Taubers is one of my favorite brands.

Another valuable thread.