Bruner's ?

Anyone know further details about Bruner's in
Santa Rosa. I've found 4-5 items through the years with hang tags or stickers which look 1950's - 60's. (and I'm on the East coast). I see mentions of them on auctions, but no real info.

.

 

H. C. Bruner, age 45, gave his occupational information in the 1940 Census as "Manager" at an "Art Store" in Santa Rosa.

 

The H stands for Harold. His father Clement M Bruner was already operating the store in 1910. I have not found a census report in Santa Rosa for them in 1900. But I'll keep looking.

 

Clement died in 1948 and the following quote (copied from Find-A-Grave) mentions the art store business.

Clement Manville Bruner
Birth 1863
Dubuque, Dubuque County, Iowa, USA
Death 31 Aug 1948 (aged 84–85)
Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA
Burial
Chapel of the Chimes Cemetery and Mausoleum
Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA
Memorial ID 192178627 · View Source

• Memorial
• Photos 0
• Flowers 0

Mr. Bruner came to Santa Rosa with his parents in 1887, going to work for the Doubleday firm. Later he was with Stanley Art Studio which he eventually took over.

Survived by his wife, the former Edith McWilliams of Santa Rosa; three children: Mrs. Hazel Nash of San Francisco, Harold C. Bruner and Merlyn Bruner, operator of Bruner's Music Shop; and three grandchildren: Vernon Nash, U.S. Army, Robert and William Bruner of Santa Rosa.

 

Harold was still associated with Bruner's Fine Arts in 1968, as per the Santa Rosa telephone Directory printed that year.

 

That tag looks pre-1950s to me.

 

Agree those stickers do look earlier than 1950s -1960s but retailers sometimes do hang on to brand identities for a long time.

Debora

 

This one is from a watercolor dated 1939.

Debora

 

Good point, Debora

 

agreed, probably until their ambitious stock of labels runs out!

 

Since Drew was looking for "information about Bruner's" and I have provided earliest documented date (1910) and the latest I could find (1968) and the chain of ownership from father to son, I trust that is what he actually wanted to know.

 

Thanks to all . . . lots of history provided with these replies ~