Manufacturer: Bauscher Brothers, Germany
User: Niederhoefer's Restaurant
Date of examples: circa 1902 – 1913
Notes: Somewhere around 1902 or 1903, John Niederhoefer opened a small, eponymous restaurant/saloon at 320 West Saratoga Street in Baltimore, Maryland, that was initially only 26 by 16 feet. He had been in the saloon/bar business since at least 1892.
Spared from the destruction of Baltimore's February 1904 Great Fire, his restaurant was located safely north and west of the burned area that consumed 81 city blocks, and his business grew. According to an article in the Baltimore Sun dated Feb.16, 1906, plans were made to temporarily close and make alterations to the business, in addition to erecting a new "back building" at a cost of $4,000. Niederhoefer announced the reopening of his restaurant in the Baltimore Sun on Aug. 14, 1906. This ad (shown above) and the many that followed were almost always displayed on the paper's front page.
In 1910, Niederhoefer moved his restaurant east to a larger location at 22 South Gay Street. It had a frontage of 21 feet and was 85 feet deep. However, the restaurant only survived at this new location a few years. It was sold and by February of 1913 became F.A. Burgemeister (see ad above).
In an ironic postscript to the restaurant's sale, an article in the Baltimore Sun dated April 16, 1919 – in anticipation of the Volstead Act taking effect – painted a lively picture of the bar scene as it had been and noted that "A plan for the use of at least one [barroom] has been carried out. That particular barroom is now a church. It is Niederhoefer's old place on Gay street, just south of Baltimore street, where many of the bibuli [a person who is fond of alcoholic drinks, often excessively so] were wont to gather at the little red tables to drink imported beer and eat of the crabs for which the place was famous."
White body platter with a green garland of flowers and leaves around the rim. At the top of the platter, the garland is broken by the restaurant's logo which consists of a fancy ribbon with tasseled ends. On the ribbon are the words "Niederhoefer's Restaurant Baltimore" in a green font. Behind the ribbon's center is a single stylized flower and leaves in green.
Sources:
The Baltimore Sun – Feb. 16, 1906: article about an addition to the restaurant
R. L. Polk & Co. Directory for Baltimore City 1892 – lists Niederhoefer as a barkeeper
The Baltimore Sun – Aug 14, 1906 – ad about the reopening
The Baltimore Sun – April 26, 1910 – story about the purchase of the Gay Street property
The Baltimore Sun – February 22, 1913 – ad from the new owner
The Baltimore Sun – April 16, 1919 – story about site becoming a church
Contributors:
Ed Babcock: ID, research and platter photos
Phil Lord: research and author
Ed Phillips: editor