Schmidt Label & Litho. Co.

The Schmidt Label & Lithography Company was an American publishing house based in San Francisco and which specialized in the printing of labels (although separate prints also were issued). It was founded in 1873 by a German immigrant, Max Schmidt. Schmidt was one of the first West Coast printers to use the lithographic technique, giving him a distinct advantage over his competitors and cementing his success. By the 1890s, he ran a factory in the city as well as branches in Portland and Seattle. Despite facing severe set backs, including several fires and the complete destruction of his plant in the 1906 earthquake, Schmidt was an extremely resilient and innovative businessman. Within a few years of the 1906 devastation, the Schmidt Company had become one of the largest printing houses on the West Coast.

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