Frank Russek

Frank Russek (1875/1876 – December 10, 1948) was a Polish-born American businessman, and the co-founder of the Russeks department store chain. He was the grandfather of photographer Diane Arbus (who in turn was the mother of photographer Amy Arbus, and of writer and journalist Doon Arbus) and of poet Howard Nemerov (who in turn was the father of art historian Alexander Nemerov).

Biography Frank Russek was a Polish Jewish immigrant to the United States, born in Bolesławiec, Poland, who arrived in New York City in the late 1800s as a teenager. The Russeks as a fur family dated back to prior to 1823. He started as a furrier in New York City in the late 1800s.

The company Russeks started as a furrier in Manhattan in New York City, co-founded in 1885 by Frank Russek and his brother Isidore H. Russek. It opened in 1901 at 19th Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan with less than $1,000 ($ in current dollar terms) in capital, starting with muffs and fur scarfs, and expanded into luxury clothing and accessories, and became Russeks Fifth Avenue, Inc. In 1905 they moved to 23rd Street, in 1911 they moved to 34th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, and in 1913 they moved to 362 Fifth Avenue.

In August 1937, the company opened up a store in Brooklyn in a five-story building on the northwest corner of Fulton Street and Bridge Street. In July 1940, the company opened up a store at 200 North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. In 1941, at 18 years of age the granddaughter of Frank Russek (and daughter of future chairman David Nemerov) Diane Nemerov (later known as Diane Arbus) married Allan Arbus, and they both went to work for the Russeks advertising department, and eventually became successful fashion photographers. In 1944 the company had over 1,000 employees. In 1946, the company had a net profit of $1,272,000 ($ in current dollar terms). In 1948, it was one of the largest stores in the world that specialized only in women's furs, coats, suits, and dresses. Gertrude Russek married David Nemerov, and they were the parents of photographer Diane Arbus (who in turn was the mother of photographer Amy Arbus, and of writer and journalist Doon Arbus) and poet Howard Nemerov (who in turn was the father of art historian Alexander Nemerov).