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For a century and a half, the name Weber has
been synonymous with quality art materials. Established in 1853
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Martin/F. Weber Co. is the oldest
and one of the largest manufacturers of art materials in the United
States.
Originating in 1853 as Scholz & Company,
a sales agency, the company evolved through a series of growth
partnerships to become F. Weber and Company in 1887, under the
leadership of its owner, Frederick Weber. Throughout the late
19th century, F. Weber and Company offered a wide range of imported
and manufactured products. A significant number of patents for
innovative art products were awarded to the company.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, during
the golden years of the prestigious World Fair, F. Weber and Company
was a frequent gold medal winner for its fine quality products
at exhibits which included: 1873 Vienna, 1876 Centennial Exposition,
Philadelphia, 1893 Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1903 St. Louis
Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1915 San Francisco Panama-Pacific
Exposition and the 1926 Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Exposition.
The disruption of commerce during World War I
caused American artists to seek more American made art materials
thereby creating a need and an opportunity for F. Weber to expand
its manufacturing capabilities. By the early 1920’s, in addition
to its manufacturing and distribution facilities, F. Weber and
Company also had three retail stores; in Philadelphia, Baltimore
and St. Louis.
After the death of Mr. Weber in 1919, his sons,
Frederick (Fred) and Ernest, incorporated the company, becoming
F. Weber Co. Inc. Fred, among other significant responsibilities
within the organization, became Technical Director. A creative
artist and chemist, as well as author of artists’ materials
books, he developed many new products. One of the most notable,
is Original Permalba White, first formulated in 1921. Fred Weber
was the first to develop a nontoxic, opaque, white oil paint with
smooth working qualities to replace the toxic, lead-based whites
that artists had used for hundreds of years. It remains the artists’
standard in white oil paint.
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| 1903 Louisiana Purchase Expo |
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| Baltimore, ca. 1920 |
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| St. Louis, ca. 1920 |
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In the 1930’s Mr. Weber introduced new pigments to the industry with excellent lightfastness and reduced toxicity to the artist and synthetic varnishes to replace the less stable natural materials used in the past. Turpenoid, an exceptional odorless turpentine replacement which is still the finest available, was introduced in the 1950’s. This remarkably early commitment to the development of safer art materials continues to the present.
With the publication of his first book, Artists
Pigments, (Van Nostrand, 1923), Mr. Weber became a sought after
lecturer on artists materials and methods and provided advice
to many prominent 20th Century artists, including Thomas Hart
Benton, Dean Cornwell, Arthur Dove, Peter Hurd, Norman Rockwell,
NC Wyeth and Andrew Wyeth. After the death of Ernest and then
Fred, F. Weber Co. Inc. was purchased by Visual Art Industries
of Brooklyn, which had created the first signature art sets with
the original television artist, Jon Gnagy.
Since its purchase in 1980 by the Kapp family,
and under the continuing guidance of Dennis Kapp, the now named,
Martin/F. Weber Co. produces an ever widening range of exceptional
art materials for artists of all skill levels and signature artists’
products for such well known contemporary television artist/teachers
as Bob Ross, Susan Scheewe and Bruce Blitz.
We invite you to share our pride in our 150 year
history and tradition. We pledge to continue to offer the creative
community we serve only the finest in art and craft products and
reaffirm our ardent commitment to continuing improvements in art
technology as we move quickly into the 21st century.
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