Falk Brothers Records, 1950-1977
Call number: MG-343
1 box 5 folders .25 cubic ft.
Repository: LancasterHistory.org (Lancaster, Pa.)
Shelving Location: Archives South, Side 13
Description: Collection contains correspondence between Falk Brothers, a retail meat business in Lancaster, and vendors of spices, cutlery, and equipment. Some of the letters enclose catalogs and price lists, recipes or formulas, and instructions on how to use products. Falk Brothers did business with vendors on the east coast and in the Midwest and these records show the products and formulas used by retailers and meatpackers at that time.
Creators: Falk Brothers (Lancaster, Pa.); Falk, Richard C.; Falk, Robert L.
Conditions for Access: No restrictions.
Conditions Governing Reproductions: Collection may not be photocopied. Collection may not be reproduced for publication without written permission from the correspondents of Falk Brothers. Please contact Research Staff or Archives Staff with questions.
Language: English
Source of Acquisition: Gift of Everett R. Newswanger, 5 April 2004.
Administrative/Biographical History:
Falk Brothers was a retail meat business located at 511 St. Joseph Street, Lancaster. The family business first emerged from the 1882-1883 Lancaster city directory with a listing for Charles Falk, Jr., butcher, located at 516 High St. in Lancaster. In 1892, the home and retail business were located at 509 St. Joseph Street and by 1920, they had relocated the business to 511 St. Joseph Street. The name Falk Brothers appeared in 1941 and continued until the business closed in 1980. Richard C. Falk and Robert L. Falk were the proprietors. The difficulty of accommodating Federal regulations in the later years may have contributed to the business closing.
Sources: Lancaster City Directories; Kunzler & Company, Inc.
Folder 1 A. C. Legg Packing Company, Inc.
Packing slip and invoice for samples of Minced Bologna Seasoning and Bockwurst seasoning. No charge, but shows price per bag. Billhead of A. C. Legg Packing Company, Inc. Birmingham, Alabama. 6 September 1955.
Letter from Charles W. Purvis to Dick Falk regarding the samples and recipe for bockwurst. Letterhead of A. C. Legg Packing Company. With envelope and return envelope. 7 September 1955.
Recipe for bockwurst, including meat formula, seasoning, and manufacturing instructions. No date.
Folder 2 Chicago Cutlery Co.
Insert 1 Letter from Steve Busch to Richard C. Falk regarding the enclosed information on their products. Letterhead of Chicago Cutlery Co., Minneapolis. With envelope. 9 January 1976.
Informational flier about the company and their knife blades. No date.
Product flier showing types of knives available. No date.
Packing industry price list and order form. Effective 15 July 1975.
Information on ordering direct. No date.
Price list and order form. Effective 15 July 1975.
Insert 2 Form letter from Steven Busch to commercial direct customer regarding price increase, booth at WSMPA show, new employee, and new address. Letterhead of Chicago Cutlery Co. With envelope. 26 January 1977.
Price list and order form. Effective 15 July 1975.
Folder 3 First Spice Mixing Company, Inc.
Insert 1 Recipes (formulas) for all pork bologna and bologna. Letterhead of First Spice Mixing Co., Inc., Long Island City, New York. With envelope postmarked 6 January 1961.
Insert 2 Letter to Richard C. Falk regarding smoked sausage and ring bologna. Letterhead of First Spice Mixing Company, Inc. With envelope. 14 May 1971.
Recipe (formula) for bologna. No date.
Insert 3 Letter from Peter R. Epstein to Richard C. Falk enclosing a recipe for scrapple. Letterhead of First Spice Mixing Company, Inc. With envelope. 20 September 1976.
Recipe (formula) for scrapple. No date.
Folder 4 H. J. Mayer & Sons Co., Inc.
Insert 1 Letter from Charles F. Mayer regarding Wonder Pork Sausage Seasoning. Letterhead of H. J. Mayer & Sons Co., Inc., Chicago. With envelope. 1 December 1950.
Recipe (formula) for pork sausage. Form No. 10. No date.
Packing slip and invoice for Wonder Pork Sausage Seasoning with Sage. Billhead of H. J. Mayer & Sons Co., Inc. 29 November 1950.
Insert 2 Letter from Charles F. Mayer regarding Special Neverfail Curing Compound. Letterhead of H. J. Mayer & Sons Co., Inc. With envelope. 29 January 1951.
Instructions on how to use NU-SSS for sausage. No date.
Instructions for quick curing sausage meat. Formula No. 3A. No date.
Recipes (formulas) for bologna and frankfurters. No date.
Insert 3 Letter from Charles F. Mayer regarding their ability to provide spice blends to meet government requirements. Letterhead of H. J. Mayer & Sons Co., Inc. 28 February 1951.
Letter from Charles F. Mayer regarding Special Head Cheese Seasoning. Letterhead of H. J. Mayer & Sons Co., Inc. With envelope. 1 March 1951.
Recipe (formula) for head cheese. No date.
Instructions on use of Velvo Z. 8 March 1951.
Bill of lading for shipment from H. J. Mayer & Sons Co., Inc. to Falk Brothers. Pennsylvania Railroad to Chicago. 14 February 1951.
Insert 4 Letter from Charles F. Mayer to Richard Falk regarding garlic powder. Letterhead of H. J. Mayer & Sons Co., Inc. 12 April 1951.
Recipe (formula) for Lebanon Bologna. No date.
Insert 5 Letter from Charles F. Mayer regarding an order and sweet bologna. Letterhead of H. J. Mayer & Sons Co., Inc. With envelope. 7 May 1951.
Packing list and invoice for OSS Lebanon Bologna Seasoning. Billhead of H. J. Mayer & Sons Co., Inc. 1 May 1951.
Instructions for quick curing sausage. No date.
Recipe (formula) for sweet bologna. No date.
Insert 6 Letter from Frank A. Mayer regarding a shipment of seasonings and recipe for country smoked sausage. Letterhead of H. J. Mayer & Sons Co., Inc. With envelope. 16 December 1952.
Recipe (formula) for smoked pork or country smoked sausage. No date.
Instructions for curing bacon. Formula No. 31. No date.
Insert 7 Letter from Douglas Evans to Richard Falk regarding Spicehydrate chopping. Letterhead of H. J. Mayer & Sons Co., Inc. With envelope. 20 June 1961.
Carbon copy of above letter.
Notes on Spicehydrate. 26 May 1961.
The Mayer New Product Bulletin. No. 61, 22 March 1961; no. 62, 22 March 1961; no. 63, 24 March 1961.
Insert 8 Letter from Charles F. Mayer to Richard Falk enclosing formulas and instructions. Letterhead of H. J. Mayer & Sons Co., Inc. With envelope. 19 October 1961.
Alternate formula for Magnifico Mix #4005A. 13 September 1961.
Instructions for using Magnifico Mix #4005. 30 August 1957.
Insert 9 Letter from Charles F. Mayer to Richard Falk regarding recipes and products. Letterhead of H. J. Mayer & Sons Co., Inc. 9 January 1963.
Recipe (formula) for meatloaf. No date.
Recipe (formula) for bologna. No date.
Folder 5 Correspondence, Price Lists, Recipes
Insert 1 Catalog for Donald S. Jarvis, Inc., food processing equipment. No date.
Price list and index of products. January 1977.
Business reply postcard.
Envelope. No postmark.
Insert 2 Letter from W. B. Overbay to Richard Falk regarding recipe for bologna. Letterhead of The Griffith Laboratories, Inc., Union, New Jersey. Attached to envelope. 28 August 1959.
Recipe (formula) for bologna #6100. No date.
Insert 3 Letter from J. L. Gossman regarding recipes for frankfurters and meatloaf. Letterhead of B. Heller & Company, Chicago. With envelope. 5 June 1953.
Recipes (formulas) for frankfurters, Dutch Loaf, chicken loaf, veal patties, and veal loaf. No date.
Insert 4 Letter from S. Stone Gregory, Jr. to Richard C. Falk regarding White Hickory Smoke Meal. Letterhead of S. Stone Gregory, Jr. With envelope. 26 December 1966.
Fliers and price list for products. 1959, 1962, 1966.
Photocopy of “A Look at a Remarkable Man,” Commercial Appeal. 5 September 1966.
Insert 5 Letter from Joseph A. Brudnak to Richard C. Falk regarding Pro-Lean 45 textured vegetable protein. Letterhead of Miles Laboratories, Inc., Marshall Division, Elkhart, Indiana. With envelope. 30 November 1972.
Pro-Lean 45 guaranteed satisfaction certificate. Expiration 31 March 1973.
Information sheet on Pro-Lean 45. P972.2. No date.
Instructions for use of Pro-Lean 45. No date.
Example of label for products made with Pro-Lean 45. P972. No date.
Inspection form for Pro-Lean 45 from the Meat and Poultry Inspection Program, United States Department of Agriculture. 13 September 1972.
Price list for Pro-Lean 45. September 1972.
Insert 6 Recipe (formula) for Thuringer (roast bologna, sweet bologna, or country bologna) from John C. Rettberg of The Preservaline Manufacturing Co. Letterhead of the James Madison Hotel, Shamokin, Pennsylvania. 31 July 1950.