One of the interesting things about the Syracuse Ornamental Company (Syroco) was its ability to evolve to meet the times. When Adolph Holstein started the company, in downtown Syracuse in 1890, it was just him and a small group of carvers who made beautifully hand-carved wooden decor—one piece at a time. This high-end production suited the late Nineteenth Century building boom. In the Twenties, Syroco added the production of compression-moulded, wood pulp-based castings (while continuing to sell its hand-carved items). In the Thirtes (and with the onset of the Depression), Syroco converted entirely to moulded products—producing affordable niceties in times of economic peril. At this point, the Art Deco movement began to be reflected in Syroco's product line. This continued through the Fifties. In the Sixties and Seventies, Syroco switched to making injection-moulded plastic items: patio furniture, "sunburst" wall clocks, and Modernist mirror frames. Their "Lady Syroco" line offered Baroque-inspired, gilded wares which could be mounted upon a bathroom or family room wall. At its peak, Syroco employed over 400 people—and had become a fixture in the Syracuse economy.
In 1965, after being run by three generations of Holstein's family, the company was sold to an outside investment group. The company's fortunes began to change; perhaps it was the change of management, perhaps it was the challenge of domestic manufacturing, perhaps it was changing tastes which were not being met. By 2007, the company closed its doors-—unable or unwilling to make the switch to a new and lucrative product line.
The horse head bookends, shown above, were made during Sirocco's heydey—in the Thirties or Forties. Despite being a production product, it is clear that the artistic integrity—the sculpting of the original model—was front-and-center. Throughout the company's first 75 years (and three generations of family leadership), the company always placed design and execution (of carving) at the forefront. Click on the photo above to learn more about these handsome horse.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.