Flax Art Supply Stores

Sam Flax was sixteen years old when he answered a newspaper ad for his first and only employer, art supply dealer Sam Halpern. Ten years later in 1919, Sam Flax opened his own store in New York City, aptly named Sam Flax. All three of Sam's sons, Leonard, Sidney, and David, entered the business after World War II. Sidney opened a second store in Brooklyn in 1949, and was the first to implement the Flax style of creative merchandising when he introduced colorful neckties.

Over the next three decades, the brothers grew the business to five Sam Flax stores in New York. Sam Flax died in 1963. In 1973, David Flax established a new Sam Flax store in Atlanta, then in 1990 he opened another store in Orlando, Florida. In 2003, the two (see the 1980s) New York Sam Flax stores were sold to individuals outside the Flax family. A 95-year presence in New York came to an end in 2014, when the Midtown store closed its doors for good on Christmas Eve.[5] Members of the Flax family originally from New York continue to operate the Orlando store, while the Atlanta store was sold to two long-time employees in 2018.

In 1988, Leonard Flax and his wife Kate founded Kate's Paperie, which was a separate business from Sam Flax Inc. Over the next 20 years Kate's grew to five stores in New York, and in 2008 the business was sold.[6][7][8]

Meyer Flax moved his family to Los Angeles and established M. Flax Artist Supplies in 1931. His son, Harvey, opened a second store in 1950 in Westwood Village, that he managed for more than 50 years. When he retired in 2005, the art supply store was sold, yet Flax carried on in Los Angeles. In 2002, Harvey's daughter, Joan Flax, opened Flax Pen to Paper with her husband Phil Clark, which they sold to an employee in 2020.[9][10]

Portrait of Herman-Flax by Serge Ivanoff, San Francisco, 1954.

In 1938, Herman Flax moved his family to San Francisco and established Flax's Artist Materials. At the age of 62 Herman died, leaving the downtown San Francisco location to his sons, Philip and Jerry.[11] Under Herman's tutelage, his son-in-law, Don Kavrell, opened a Flax art supply store in Oakland in the 1950s, and then moved the store and his family to Sacramento from 1959–1970.

Jerry Flax left the company in 1967 to lead the Electrostatic Printing Corporation (see xerography), for which he acquired the rights to commercialize the patented technology developed by Stanford engineer Clyde Childress. Ultimately, the process was purchased by Monsanto Chemical.[12][13] In 1974 Jerry bought what was once the biggest competitor to Flax in San Francisco, Schwabacher-Frey.[14] He first acquired the retail store and then its commercial division two years later.

Under Philip Flax a new Flax store opened in 1966, in the 27,000 square foot Goldberg Bowen Building at 250 Sutter Street.[15] In 1978 a new location at 1699 Market Street opened, followed by the closure of the Sutter Street store in 1981. The company began distributing mail order catalogs nationally in 1984. Craig Flax oversaw the major growth and transition of the catalog business with an expanded range of gift-oriented items and eventually new specialty titles. Reflecting the broader product range, Flax's Artist Materials began doing business as FLAX art & design in 1991. Two new brands were developed, Collage and The Paper Catalog in 1995 and 1998 respectively, and featured photo albums, stationery, fine pens, and decorative papers marketed through catalogs and eCommerce websites. Through 2002 - 2003, Flax acquired the assets of Reliable Home Office, T. Shipley and Sparks.com.[16][17] In 2005, the company achieved a ranking in Internet Retailers Top 500 Guide. Flax ceased all direct marketing activities by the end of 2007 and returned its focus to brick and mortar activity.[18][19]

In 2010 the leadership of the company formally transitioned to the third generation, led by Howard Flax. FLAXart.com relaunched as an eCommerce website in October 2014, with a wide range of products for art and craft enthusiasts.

Over the weekend of November 7–8, 2015, Flax celebrated the Grand Opening of a new store at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture in San Francisco.[20] Fort Mason is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is managed by the National Park Service, making Flax the only art supply store in the country to operate within a national park.

After 38 years operating a retail store at 1699 Market Street, the company was forced to relocate. The building was slated for redevelopment into a condominium highrise. In looking for a new headquarters location in San Francisco, Flax found itself competing with technology companies seeking the same type of creative spaces.[21][22] In March, 2016, Flax closed the Market Street store and opened a new store in Downtown Oakland.[23][24][25]

Looking for an opportunity and based upon information from industry wholesalers, including a tip from Max Grumbacher himself, Chicago is where The Flax Co. established itself in 1946 by Louis Flax, and his sons Don and Al following their return from World War II. Like their father, Don and Al learned the business by working under Sam Flax in New York. By 1970 the company grew to have two businesses: a primary 14,000 sq ft store in the Chicago Loop and a smaller retail store led by Al, and Regents Products Co., a wholesaling business run by Don. Louis presided over both as president until he died in 1971.[26] The retail business began concentrating on the framing category in the 1980s, and Al's son Brian continues to run the company under the name Flax Art & Frame.

In 1979, Al and Don purchased Meyer's Art Supply in Phoenix. Don moved there, and was soon after joined by Al's son Doug, who took over management of the 15,000 sg. ft. Phoenix Flax store upon Don's retirement in 1990. Following Al's death in 2003 the store closed the following year, primarily hastened by a poor economy.[27][28] Like their Uncle Sam, both Al and Don served as Directors for the art supply industry organization NAMTA, with Don serving as its president from 1961–1963.[29][30][31]