From their start at the beginning of the 20th century, Fromm Bros. were driven to develop a "bright" silver fox. After many years of selective breeding, they finally achieved perfection.
At the Fromm’s Hamburg, WI auction in 1937, Marshall Field and Company and Trencher Furs bid against each other for pelt #2989, considered the finest silver fox pelt ever produced. Both stores had advertising campaigns and displays planned for this particular pelt. Marshall Field and Company won the bidding for this pelt - the final bid was $2100.00!
In 1931, Henry Fromm began experimenting with a new animal - mink. Within a few years, the Fromm's mink herd grew to 40,000. In 1943, Fromm Bros. introduced the first full coat of platinum (SilverBlu) mink. A New Year's Eve auction that year at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel brought $17,000 for this particular coat.
Far be it from the company to rest on their laurels, in the early 1940’s they began to raise chinchilla. This small animal turned out to be very difficult to breed. In addition to breeding difficulties, a tremendous number of pelts were required to manufacture a single coat.
The impact the Fromm Bros. made on the fur industry is considered nothing less than revolutionary and will live on for many years to come.
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