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Makers of Pre-1870 American Surgical Sets

American Surgical Instrument Makers

By Dr. Michael Echols

Please note:  Below is a selected list of surgery instrument makers from the 1800's.  The list does not include all American makers.  See Edmonson for a complete list of all makers and addresses.  If you are looking for European makers, the best resource is Bennion's book on Antique Instruments.  Also see the list of Civil War Makers.

   

Example: This is the same Tiemann company, but different time frames due to the address number on the maker label

 

If you are trying to identify a set, look at this article: Procedure for identification of a surgical set

 

This is only a partial list of American makers and the date ranges are not specific for a given address.  If you are trying to claim a given set was made in the Civil War, it must be at an address which preceded or occurred during the War.  Makers had many different addresses and associations during their time in business and the addresses or variations in names are the key to determination of the date of manufacture.  You have to consult Edmonson's book for exact dates and locations.  These dates are for the entire time the maker was shown to be in business.  Underlined names are in this collection and there is more information under those names. 

Instrument maker name,  location of business,   Date range when in business (The maker full address is needed to determine the exact date.  The dates below are just the range of dates when the given maker was in business.  YOU MUST use the address shown on the maker label to determine the actual date a given set was made.)

Aloe: St Louis, 1876-97

Aloe & Hernstein, St. Louis, 1879-1880

Anderson, James, N.Y. 1820's

Arnold F. and Daily: Baltimore, 1837-1900

Arnold, Wm.: Cleveland, 1856-57

Autenrieth, William: Cincinnati, 1867-1900

Brinkerhoff (Brinckerhoff): New York City, 1851-1869

Browne, Phillip: Philadelphia, 1818

Cartwright (Cart): Pittsburgh, 1847-1864

Cassell: Baltimore, 1823-1834

Caswell: New York, 1861-1900

Chevalier: New York, 1835-1872

Codman & Shurtleff: Boston, 1851-1900

Degenhardt: Chicago, 1853-1880

Dickson: Albany, NY, 1833-1830

Jackson, Samuel: Baltimore, MD, 1833-1874

Fenton: Cleveland/Columbus, 1845-1886

Ford: New York, 1853-1890

Fosbrook: New York, 1787-1819

Eberle: Philadelphia, 1798-1814

Friese: Baltimore, 1845-1863

Gemrig: Pennsylvania, 1840-1900

Goulding: New York, 1837-1900

Helmold: Pennsylvania, 1851-1897

Helmolt: Pennsylvania, 1843-1852

Hernstein: New York, 1843-1896

Jackson:  Baltimore, 1833-1874

Kern: Pennsylvania, 1837-1893

Klott and Wolf: Ohio, 1855

Kolbe' : Pennsylvania, 1851-1854

Kuemerle: Pennsylvania, 1838-1900

Lentz, Charles: Pennsylvania, 1863-1900

Leypoldt, Federick: Pennsylvania, 1860-1900

Leslie, A. M.: St. Louis, 1865-1885

Martin, Albany, New York, 1843-1900

Otto: New York, 1853-1900

Owens: Albany, New York, 1840

Phelps: Boston, 1820-1863

Pintard: New York, 1810-1850

Rees: Cincinnati, 1832-1900

Reynders: New York, 1853-1900 

Rienhardt: Baltimore/South Carolina, 1837-1879

Rogers: Philadelphia, 1840

Rorer: Philadelphia, 1780's 01860's

Rose and Sellers:  New York, 1822-1845

Rose: New York, 1829-1845

Schively: Pennsylvania, 1785-1855

Sharp & Smith: Chicago, 1876-1900

Shepard & Dudley: New York, 1870-1883

Shurtleff: Boston, 1851-1900

Snowden and Brother: 1816-1900

Spangenberg & Hawley: Albany, New York, 1833-1900

Teufel: Pennsylvania, 1857-1900

Tiencken: New York, 1863-1872

Tiemann: New York, 1826-1900

Wade and Ford: New York, 1860-1866

Wiegand and Snowden, Philadelphia, 1824-1855

Wirz, Philadlphia

Wocher: Cincinnati, 1840-1900

Surgical instrument makers during the Civil War: Tiemann, Hernstein, Otto, Gemrig, Kern, Snowden, Kolbe, Helmold, Kuemerle, Leypoldt, Teufel, Wirz, Wiegand, Snowden, Codman, Shurtleff, Rees, Wade, Ford, Wocher, Brinkerhoff

Note: the location and dates above are approximate since the location and dates of  the business may have been owned by various people over the years.  This list is generalized and based on Edmonson's book on American Surgical Instrument Makers.

CAUTION!!!   The address of the maker and names will be proof that a given set was made before, during, or after the Civil War. 

Talk about confusing, look at these two names, spellings, and dates of being in business:

Louis V. Helmold. 1851-1897

Louis V. Helmold cutler

1851: 7 Assembly Bldg.

1852: 10th and Walnut

1853-54: 49 S. 10th surgical instrument maker

1855-57: 45 S. 10th

1858-70: 135 S. 10th

1871-1897: 127 S. 10th

 

O. Helmolt; O. & L. Helmolt; Lewis Helmholt, 1843-1852

O. Helmolt [sic] cutler

1843: 2 Linden ct

1844: 83 Vine

1845-47: 7 Assembly Bldg 1848: George n. Sch. 7th

 

O. & L. Helmolt [sic] surgical instrument makers 1845: 7 Assembly Bldg

 

Lewis Helmolt cutler

1847-50: 36 Lebanon surgical instrument maker (1850) 1851-52: 4 Lebanon Row

 

If you need your set evaluated, e-mail Dr. Echols      We'll try to help you date and value your set.

There are hundreds of makers, both European and American.  If you have a Civil War era or earlier surgical set you wish to identify, please contact Michael Echols and the name can be looked up for you if it is pre-1870.

All of the above information from: American Surgical Instruments: An Illustrated History of their Manufacture and a Directory of Instrument Makers to 1900 by James M. Edmonson, Ph.D., Curator, Dittrick Museum of Medical History, Cleveland Medical Library Association and Case Western Reserve University.

The Edmonson Surgical Instrument Makers text is available from Norman Publishing, San Francisco, USA