Brooklyn Brush Manufacturing Company articles of incorporation
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Abstract
The articles of incorporation for the Brooklyn Brush Manufacturing Company, founded by Freeman Murrow and incorporated in 1848. The document features a list of subscribers as well as a diagram of Freeman Murrow's patented double adjustable paint brush.
Historical note
On July 29, 1853, a notice appeared in the Frederick Douglass Paper: Freeman Murrow, who lived at 90 Meserole Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, had invented an adjustable paint brush. Murrow had secured a patent, but because of racial prejudice, he was unable to present his invention to the American Institute Fair and had to have it presented by a white man. The adjustable brush won a silver medal at the Fair in October 1853.
After getting his patent, Murrow formed the Brooklyn Brush Manufacturing Company. The company declared that it stood for "welfare of Civil Rights and not bloodshed" and intended to liberate their wives, sisters, and daughters from taking low-paying jobs as washerwomen and domestic servants.
On June 28, 1855, at the Convention of Radical Political Abolitionists, Lewis Tappan, a prominent abolitionist and Brooklyn Heights resident, spoke highly of the brush company, saying that "their project was a very worthy one" and that the purpose of the business was to "gain an honest livelihood for themselves and to elevate their race."
Source:
- Brooklyn Historical Society. "Lesson 14: Black Entrepreneurs." In Pursuit of Freedom, Section IV: The Economics of Freedom (1840-1855). Accessed March 28, 2024. https://pursuitoffreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/resources/section4_lesson14/lesson14_worksheet1.pdf
Biographical note
Black inventor Freeman Murrow was born in 1833 and lived at 90 Meserole Street in Williamsburg. He invented an adjustable paintbrush in 1853 and founded the Brooklyn Brush Manufacturing Company.
Arrangement
This collection consists of a single item.
Scope and Contents
The articles of incorporation for the Brooklyn Brush Manufacturing Company, founded by Freeman Murrow and incorporated in 1848. The document features a list of subscribers as well as a diagram of Freeman Murrow's patented double adjustable paint brush.
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Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
This item is in the public domain. While many items at the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Preferred Citation
Brooklyn Brush Manufacturing Company articles of incorporation, 1855, 1978.191, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source and date of acquisition unknown. The item was formally accessioned in 1978.
About this Guide
Processing Information
This collection was rehoused and the finding aid revised by Dee Bowers in 2024.