Lost Pipe Landmark's of Yore: Bertram's Pipe Shop (Washington DC)

oklansas:
Thank-you for this look back. Oh, but to have visited and traded at this shop in its heyday (sigh)! Here is a link (Bertram's Pipe Shop Catalog) to a 1950s catalog from that august institution, courtesy of Chris Keene's Pipe Pages.
By way of returning the favor, here's an image of New York City's late, famous, Wilke Pipe Shop, and which shows one of the two Wilke sisters, Louise (the other was Anna - or Anne, I've seen it spelled both ways). I can smell the tobacco now...

Those old pics look awesome and like a place I would love to go if society were as such that a place like that could still be safe. Based on your description of the neighborhood he was wise to close.
As someone that lived in the suburbs of DC in Northern VA I can attest I wouldn't go into DC except for concerts, Caps Games, and to see my RedSkins lose at the old RFK. (AKA highly guarded places)
If it were still there. I would however truly go to that shop and take life and limb into hand being the pipe nut ... I mean enthusiast that I am. The last time I lived there DC ranked higher then anywhere else even New York City for murders and was dubbed the murder capital of the world. And of course at that time their mayor was a crack head. AND I will add never go there with out a full tank as the only place you can get gas are places where white people are not allowed.
In the LORDS prayer their is a verse that says on Earth as it is in Heaven. This always makes me think that maybe just maybe along with many beautiful heavenly things we will find all the best that this earth had to offer and in its true intended uncorrupted beauty. By the posted pics I would love to see this place there, in a version of DC as it was meant to be... not the toilet it has become outside the tourist areas and rich sections of course.
In the mean time John B Hayes is still open as far as I know in FairOaks Mall. If that place were a car it would be eligible for antique plates by now.... but still short of what you found above.

Great photos and thoughts, Gentlemen... I think I'll load up my lone Bertram billiard and smoke a bowl right now!

pipestud:
How is your Bertram billiard as a smoker? I understand that they are highly regarded, but have never read any comments from owners who smoke them.

Hunt I have about 8 or 9, was fortunate a couple years ago a Dr passed and his Daughter had 4 with the lowest grade 125, she wanted 600$, I made an offer of 400$

Which she took. They are very good smokers, some better than the others, as all pipes are, get a couple they won't break the Bank.

tbradsim1:
Thank-you. Just when I though I had all the pipes I wanted, now I find that I must add a Bertram or two to the collection!

pipestud:
How is your Bertram billiard as a smoker? I understand that they are highly regarded, but have never read any comments from owners who smoke them. - Huntertrw

Mine smokes similar to several GBD pipes I own from the same era. A good smoker, well drilled and burns cool, but does not fully deliver the taste of the tobacco I am smoking.
Pipestud

Click to expand...

With a name like The Briar Bowl it's obvious this shop was more than just a cigar shop. 108 23rd St., Miami Beach, FL, the shop was there at least thru the 1950's, then may have moved. This picture was taken in 1947. Note the advertising for Weingott (London) pipes.

Naftal's Cigar Emporium, 6th Avenue & 12th St, New York, NY circa 1890.

Mart H. Werth 4th St. tobacconist. Haven't researched this one very much but note the fancy painted header on the building.

"Note the advertising for Weingott (London) pipes."
Advertising, what advertising? All that I saw was a blonde...

pipestud:
To what do you attribute your Bertram's failure to fully deliver the taste of your tobacco?

The office sign in the Naftal's photo makes me think of the emblem for pawnbrokers but it's upside down.

johnnyreb:
I am reminded of the lyrics to an old song by David Bromberg, and which state, in part"
"Oh, Mr. Pawnbroker, what do those three balls mean on your wall?"
"Oh, Mr. Pawnbroker, what do those three balls mean on your wall?"
"That means it's two-to-one, buddy, you'll never get your sh*t back out of here at all."

In business since 1930, everyone's heard of Nat Sherman. I love the clock with the cigar store Indian on each side.

Here's an image of the other Wilke sister, Anna (or Anne) at their late shop in New York:

Some may find this interesting and it does have a tie-in to long lost tobacconists:
Jesse Edwards James, son of Civil War Guerrilla and outlaw Jesse Woodson James was operating a cigar & tobacco stand in the lobby of the Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City, MO in 1899 when he met his wife to be. They were married in early 1900. It was also during that time that he wrote a book about his father he titled, "Jesse James, My Father." He was 25 yrs old. It had been 18 yrs since his father had been murdered. His mother would die just 11 months after his wedding.
This was a mere 2 yrs after Jesse Edwards himself had been arrested, tried but acquitted for robbing a Missouri Pacific train. During the time he owned the cigar & tobacco stand he began to study law, graduating from law school in 1907. It is believed that during this time is when he met & befriended local politician & future US President Harry Truman. After graduating he sold his cigar & tobacco stand and opened up a law office. Truman was a client. Another famous client was Dr. Zeo Zoe Wilkins whose violent murder in her own home in 1924 remains unsolved. She was said to be quite wealthy at the time having been married a number of times to a string of older wealthy gentlemen plus having made some money on her own by inventing, then selling the rights to a medical devise that was a scam. A large sum of money was stolen from her home the night of her murder.
In 1921 along with a group of investors a film company was formed and produced two motion pictures, "Jesse James Under the Black Flag" and "Jesse James as the Outlaw." Jesse Edwards played the part of his father in both pictures. They were huge financial disasters from which he had a nervous breakdown and never seemed to fully recover from mentally or financially. All future plans were scrapped and that was the end of the film company.
By 1926 Jesse Edwards James had moved his family to CA; opened a restaurant named the Jesse James Inn which soon failed; and eventually opened a law practice. At some point he & his wife Stella divorced only to later remarry. He died in 1951.

"Anna - or Anne, I've seen it spelled both ways"
I've seen the "Anne" spelling too, but rarely. It's actually Anna; that's what appears in the census records, on her Social Security number, in her obituary, and in most newspaper articles about the business.
There was a third sister, incidentally, whose involvement in the business was apparently nil. Her name was Doris, and like Anna, she never married; Louisa eventually did.
Not the least of the many interesting things about the Wilkie story is how young the girls were when they stepped in after the death of their father. I don't have the precise dates handy, but Anna was about 21 and Louisa about 18.

jguss:
Do you know, perchance, what was Mr. Wilke's full name?