I don't know of many businesses in the midwest as widely known and recognized as the N. M. Friedman Co. They were regular suppliers at one time to all the up-market stores in St. Louis, including Stix, Baer and Fuller, Scruggs, Famous-Barr, Boyd's and of course, Lambert's!

The framing work (of documents, paintings, pictures) was acknowledged to be of the highest quality available anywhere.

One or perhaps two short-lived businesses in the Central West End near Washington University and the Chase-Park-Plaza claimed "custom framing work as finely executed as that of the Friedman Co."

The reality was that many St. Louis and Kansas City framers who claimed museum quality work, were in and out of business rather quickly while N. M. Friedman just kept going on and on (I once heard over a hundred years?!).

Gene Walhermfechtal's shop in Webster Groves endured many years as framer's and restoration specialists but even they claimed to "know Friedman work" when they came across it!

So what became of that famous business?