FILM FEATURE ERIC’S STORY
BY REBECCA SCHAEPER
A J eweler’s J ourney
B rilliantly beaming at the corner of 6th & Main, a family-owned jewelry shop peers fondly across the street. Seeing their name subtly sun printed across the adorned, light green awning of the historic Gwynne Building offers a daily reminder of their rich history. Richter & Phillips Jewelers was founded over a century ago, 126 years - to be exact - when a young man named Richter & three brothers named Phillips shared a dream. They wanted to spread the joy of thoughtful gift-giving through sentimental items such as silver giftware and fine jewelry. The brothers & Richter filled up large, leather-strapped trunks meticulously packed with precious, sparkling gifts of joy. The Richter & Phillips Co. salesmen would travel door to door toting their gifts while Richter & the Phillips brothers opened a showroom in downtown, Cincinnati. With the company’s great success, the brothers & Richter embraced a new shopping endeavor - nationwide mail order catalogs. It was so exciting to receive the Richter & Phillips Co. catalog in the mail. Children & adults alike would carefully curate their perfect wish list circling purses, trophies, clocks, electrical appliances, sporting goods, musical instruments, dolls, toys, and more! The art of thoughtful gift-giving was a passionate dream brought
to life for the four men and for forty long years, Richter & the Phillips brothers worked hard to keep the company strong. In 1930, however,
the Great Depression spread across the country. The state of America left little money in the pockets of families
and gift-giving was put to the wayside, forcing Richter & the Phillips brothers to file bankruptcy – but then one diamond salesman changed it all.
“IT’S STRANGE GROWING UP IN THE
JEWELRY BUSINESS BECAUSE EVERYONE THINKS YOU’RE ALL IN ALL THE TIME, BUT PART OF ME NEVER WANTED TO DO THIS AT ALL...”
With little in his pocket, diamond salesman, Frederick W. Fehr, took his loose diamond collection to the 2nd National Bank. There, they loaned him the money to buy the Richter & Phillips Co. and keep its doors open. Over the next few years, Frederick was able to fully purchase the company from remaining stockholders, officially making The Richter & Phillips Co. the new Fehr family dream. Ever since, the shop has been with the Fehr family, here in Cincinnati; from Frederick Fehr to his son Fred Jr. and his son Rick. From watch repairs and restringing pearls to engagement rings and precious diamond ensembles, Richter & Phillips became a Cincinnati tradition. A generational business built upon the same, father and son alike would both know the name. One day it came time for Rick to talk to his own son, but he wanted to offer him a life- changing choice, to go out on his own and discover his own destiny.
54 RICHTER & PHILLIPS JEWELERS MAGAZINE
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