The Bailey Banks & Biddle story begins on
September 10, 1832. On that day, Joseph Trowbridge
Bailey and his original partner, Andrew Kitchen,
opened our first Store on Chestnut Street in
Philadelphia. This distinguishes us as the Oldest
Nation Wide Jeweler in America. One of the earliest
acknowledgements of this distinction dates back to
1904, when the Philadelphia Press newspaper referred
to us as “the oldest business of its line in the
United States”.
Our Customers have always included leading families
of the day. One of our ledger books from 1834 lists
three purchases by Andrew Jackson Jr., the son of
then current President of the United States, Andrew
Jackson.
Andrew Jackson Jr.
The first changes in management occurred in 1846
when, Joseph Bailey’s original partner, Andrew
Kitchen retired. Mr. Kitchen was in failing health
and passed away, four years later, in 1850.
From the start, Mr. Bailey was committed to finest
quality merchandise of the most exquisite design. For
example, we were the first jeweler to introduce the
British Sterling Silver standard in America. American
silversmiths worked in what is called Coin Silver, of
90% purity. Mr. Bailey raised his standard to 92.5%
so that our silver would compete with the finest
imports from around the world.
Joseph T. Bailey II, the son of our founder and the
distinguished gentleman whose picture hangs in your
Store, entered the business in 1851.
On March 12, 1854, our founder, Joseph T. Bailey, died in Cuba. He had traveled there, for the mild climate, because of his own failing health. An obituary for Joseph Bailey Sr. described him as “a businessman who succeeded without family money or loans of any kind; he was literally a self-made man. He never smoked nor drank a drop of intoxicating liquor.”
On March 12, 1854, our founder, Joseph T. Bailey, died in Cuba. He had traveled there, for the mild climate, because of his own failing health. An obituary for Joseph Bailey Sr. described him as “a businessman who succeeded without family money or loans of any kind; he was literally a self-made man. He never smoked nor drank a drop of intoxicating liquor.”
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