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Anna was left alone to raise Herman and
three daughters, Mayme, Celia and Elizabeth. Anna would never remarry. A
closeness developed among all the family members that Herman would never
forget.
After graduating
from Holy Angels School, Herman worked in the millinery, or hat department
of the I. H. Thedieck store in Sidney for several years. Apparently, he
acquired a taste for the business. With two friends, he left Sidney for good
and moved to Chicago where he acceptd employment with Shane, The Furrier.
After gaining two years of additional experience, Tappe was ready to move
on. In 1900, he left for New York City.
Tappe took a job
with Wurzberger and Hecht, Wholesale Feathers and Flowers as a foreign
buyer. He began to develop an extensive network of contacts in Paris and
throughout Europe that would serve him well in later years. The Sidney
Journal noted in its May 26, 1905 edition that Tappe had "crossed the
Atlantic twelve times and feels at home on the rolling deep."
Fresh with ideas
from Paris and elsewhere, Herman Tappe opened up his own emporium in New
York City in May of 1907. At first, he specialized in ladies' hats. He
summoned sisters Celia and Mayme to join him, the former as bookkeeper and
the latter as a cutter of millinery fabric.
Tappe was
strikingly handsome. He did not last long as a bachelor. In the same year he
began his business, he married Ada Joffray McVickar, the daughter of one of
the leading clothing merchants in the city. Ada died in 1917.
Despite his high
expectations, Tappe's business went into bankruptcy in 1910. Within a short
time, however, he was back in business. He opened the House of Tappe' at 25
West 57th Street, taking over the former Lewison mansion. Hermon Tappe' was
back in business.
Although he was
immersed in the fashion business, Tappe never forgot the woman who was
dearest to his heart: his mother. In 1914, he journeyed to Sidney with a
noted architect from New York by the name of Hagen. He commissioned Hagen to
design a home for his mother. Built in the swiss chalet style by H. L.
Loudenbeck of Sidney, 'The Chimneys' represented the latest in architectural
ideas. Tappe spared no expense in decorating the yard with statuary imported
from southern France. Placed atop the house were two stone cats, which
legend has it safe-guarded the occupants of the home from evil spirits.
Anna Tappe lived there until she died in her 87th year.
Tappe quickly learned the value of publicity.
In 1918, while traveling through France and England on a buying trip, Tappe
was detained and accused by British agents of plotting to free Ireland. All
the New York papers carried the story. The agents broke open his luggage and
found silver and gold buttons from officers' uniforms, full dress regalia of
French admirals, and kilts of Scottish chieftains. Tappe claimed he was
going to "startle New York" that Fall with his fashion ideas. After telling
the authorities that Lady Paget would vouch for him, he was permitted to
leave.
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