Sidney Garber was born in 1919, the son of a hard-working watchmaker. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana. As America called on its young men to serve their country in the World War II, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. There, Lt. Garber served as Lead Navigator of the 454th Brigade 737th Squadron 15th AF, where he was decorated for valorous service.
His heroism notwithstanding, Sidney Garber always loved beauty and grace, elegance and style most of all (as the Lieutenant’s custom-tailored uniform no doubt attested). Home from the war and soon married, he opened his first store in 1946 while still in his 20s.
By all accounts, Sidney had extraordinary good taste on which his customers could rely. As important, he respected fine craftsmanship and brought great rigor and attention to detail as he worked with artisans throughout Europe. These virtues made Sidney Garber an early success…but what kept his sore successful over more than six decades was a modern sensibility that stayed modern.
Sidney Garber remained deeply involved in the business until well into his late 80s. Though he died in 2008, the spirit of Sidney Garber, and the values he brought to his life’s work, continue to guide the store.