Meet Frank, Gerrie & Hal Stupp...The Family Behind Stupp Furs
by Linda Herman

Marilyn Monroe may have been singing that "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" but if you remember, the unforgettable sex icon was draped in beautiful white mink... and it was really the fur that gave all that "bling" the razzle dazzle our eyes gobbled up.

Okay, she did have a dreamy, come hither look that didn't hurt, but the flying fur definitely was a mood setter. And if you ask the owners of Stupp Furs, one of the premier furriers in the tri-state area, they won't be at all surprised that it was a fur that wrapped up that sexiest of sex goddesses!

I met with with Frank and Gerrie Stupp and their son, Hal, at their shop at The Pavilion, in Jenkintown. Speaking with them, I knew I was in the presence of real Philadelphia history. Frank talked about how his father, Phil, started the business. "My father worked at Lichterman Furriers, 13th and Chestnut, next to Blum's. He started out sweeping floors. After some time he moved on to Habis Reitinger, one of the premier furriers in the Philadelphia area. Here he continued to learn the trade, cutting, sewing, finishing, designing the most beautiful furs in the area. The Depression came and he was laid off. So he decided to open his own shop in 1930 in the back room of our house. My mother, Anna, finished the linings and my father, besides the work he did on the pelts, enlisted the talents of other tradesmen who also lost their jobs in the fur industry. They would work at night, whenever time allowed, just to earn a buck. In fact, my father's first job invoice was for 50c!"

"We moved the business out of the house in 1939 and opened our first store on Broad Street in Logan. Just a few short years later in 1947 we opened our triple-sized store down the street, still on Broad Street. A beautiful store, it was renown for its modern architectural features, like rounded wall corners and masonry. It was a true showplace. And, it offered, just as we do now, on-site above ground cold storage. In our industry it's very unique to have proprietary storage facilities, and we probably have the best of their kind available. My father insisted on having his own storage then and we've continued the service to this day. In fact, we have the largest in-store storage in the country."

I wanted to find out about the "fur of choice" back in the early days of Stupp Furs. "Everyone wanted Persian Lamb," said Frank. "It was warm, stylish, and very versatile. You could wear it from morning to night. But it was heavy... not necessarily something that is popular with today's active women. Young girls were outfitted in sheared beaver. Their first fur, if their parents could afford it, was always beaver."

We talked about how Frank learned the business from the street up. According to him, no job was too menial or too unimportant. Sweeping, cutting the pelts, sewing, bookkeeping, all aspects of the business became part of his daily routine. And after serving in World War II, he returned to Philadelphia as a full fledged partner in Phil M. Stupp Furs. He married Gerrie, another native Philadelphian in 1949.

"My pedigree includes royalty... real royalty," chimed Gerrie. "Grace Kelly was a classmate in the private school I attended." She proudly showed off a signed class picture. All pretty young girls, but nary a fur in the group... at least, not yet!

Gerrie started to work in the business alongside Frank as her family was getting older. Soon their son, Hal, joined the family business, always eager to work alongside his father and grandfather. As Hal puts it, he also learned the trade from the ground up. "The first job I was given, I was just a young kid, was sweeping the pavement outside. I didn't even get the floors inside yet!!! I graduated to patternmaking, finishing, and again became adept at all areas of fur design and
fabrication. I've always loved the fur business."

So today, Stupp Furs is enjoying a third generation of furriers. Hal's sister, Jodie Stupp Kaskey, works with him at a second location in Haverford Square, Haverford. Another sister, is a model and not involved in the family business. I asked about another generation yet to be welcomed to the ranks. "The kids are still a little young to have any future aspirations. But there are grandchildren, so a fourth generation of Stupp furriers could be in the offing!"

We talked about today's furs, and how the industry may have changed over the years. "We do a lot of re-models," said Frank. "A lot of people are attached to their mother's fur, and if the pelts are good, we can update the fur without any trouble. We have designers and tradesmen on site who do the entire job right in our back room. Some people bring in a picture or a sketch and with the right material, we can alter almost any coat. Our craftsmen have worked with us for over 30 years, each. We've all grown up in the business together!"

According to Hal, "Today’s fur design runs the full gamut. You can purchase a beautiful mink that can be worn everyday. Or you can purchase a coat intended for dressier occasions. We help our clients pick the best coat for their purposes. And they can pick from a collection of hundreds of coats right here in our showroom. A fur is an investment piece, we look to work with our customers long term... over the life of the coat. And that coat or jacket, through its lifetime, can take many shapes."

I asked about endangered species, the issue of "green" and the overall acceptibility of wearing fur in the current P.C. environment. "We've definitely gotten over the hump of disapproval. In fact, we haven't used endangered species since the 60's," according to Gerrie. "And many people don't realize it but, "shearling is the most 'green' of all the pelts used," said Hal. "In fact, all parts of the lamb are completely used for human consumption, either for food or clothing. Shearling is totally 'Green.'"

And what kinds of trends move today's industry? According to Frank, "We really aren't seeing any one particular trend. Coats used to be longer. Today's coat is shorter, probably to accommodate our active lifestyle. Traditional mink is still the fur of choice. However, with black and really dark brown, we now have a softer brown also, called Lunarine. And of course, we still work with the glamourous furs of chinchilla and sable. We offer a full selection in our showroom." Just wear your "bling" so you can get the full effect!

Hal reminded me that "today's shearlings can come so light weight that you can wear them for eight months or more... depending on the weather. And mixed with leather, a shearling can be the most useful for today's soccer mom or soccer dad!"

Yeh, what about the men in our lives? Hal commented that today he was wearing a leather bomber jacket with fur trim. "And yes, our customer base includes many men, who are not necessarily looking for the 'Full Monty' in a fur, but definitely appreciate a tasteful fur trim or even a full lining."

I thought I'd ask about care and extending the life of our furs. According to Frank Stupp, "That's what cold storage is all about. Our furs are in refrigerated vaults, stored at a constant 45O. It needs to be cleaned periodically. The bottomline is you want to keep the skin oily and do what you can to prevent the pelts from drying. We usually counsel our clients to put their furs in storage sometime in April. That's what Stupp Furs is all about. Working with our clients to get them the fur of their dreams and then helping them keep it in beautiful condition. We've become trusted members of their extended families and as such have a responsibility to help them enjoy their furs for many, many years. My father said that 'No legacy is so rich as honesty,' and we've made sure to follow through. It is our most prized asset," said Frank.

After being with Frank, Gerrie and Hal Stupp I ventured to ask what they do when they’re not in one of their showrooms or talking furs. According to Hal,"This is what we do. Furs. We talk furs, we make furs, we visit furs. Furs." Frank owned up to enjoying golf, tennis and baseball. Hal talked about "The Masters" so I can assume he enjoys a periodic golf game. Although it sounds like it's more periodic than otherwise! Clearly Stupp Furs is a family business that goes way behind the showrooms!!

I had a great time speaking with Frank, Gerrie and Hal Stupp. I especially enjoyed the bit of local and not-so local history one can learn by examining the growth of Stupp Furs. It might provide some good lessons for today's anxious entreprenuer in an economic environment somewhat similar to the Depression of 1939. Stupp Furs was a business started in The Depression and through careful management, terrific customer service and love of trade is still going strong. Stupp Furs can be counted among those few Philadelphia institutions that is timeless. Its owners can be counted among those determined to continue the institution for years to come. Just talk with these two generations and you have a sense of being with "royalty"... and I don't mean Grace Kelly!

Stupp Furs
The Pavilion
261 Old York Road
Jenkintown, PA
215-885-4747