Levi Strauss (1829–1902)

Hal Reed (Oklahoma 1921-California 2003)
USA, 1979
Bronze, h. 1 ¾ x w. 1 ¾ in.
Cincinnati Skirball Museum, Jewish-American Hall of Fame Collection, gift of Mel and Esther Wacks, Debra Wacks, and Shari Wacks, 2019.7.21 & 2019.7.22

Levi Strauss was born Löb Strauss in Buttenheim, Bavaria, and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1847. He sold products in Kentucky and New York through his brothers’ wholesale dry goods business. At a time when the Gold Rush led many people to venture out west, Strauss moved to San Francisco in 1853 and began a west coast branch of his family’s store. In 1873, he partnered with Jacob Davis, a tailor from Nevada, who wanted to create a patent for his pants that were strengthened by rivets. Davis and Strauss secured a patent, and denim pants with rivets, what we now call blue jeans, were created. Levi Strauss & Company manufactured these new pants, which were originally in the form of “waist overalls” and were especially popular among workers looking for durable clothing. Strauss ran his company throughout the 19th century and passed the family business on to his nephews. By the time of Strauss’s death in 1902, the company was worth millions of dollars. In addition to his entrepreneurship, Strauss was a philanthropist who donated to the Pacific Hebrew Orphan Asylum, Home for Aged Israelites, Eureka Benevolent Association, and Temple Emanu-El. Strauss established student scholarships at the University of California, Berkeley that are still in existence today. The famous Levi’s® brand of jeans and apparel is sold around the world in 110 countries, and jeans are a staple in American wardrobes.