I'm looking for information about an Alexander Herz who founded a series of companies in the early 20th century. Herz Straw Company manufactured paper drinking straws under the brand name "Sunshine"; Herz Cup Company made paper cups also under the "Sunshine" brand name, and Hygeia Antiseptic Toothpick Company made toothpicks, glassine envelopes, and paper drinking straws under the brand name "Hygeia". These companies were consolidated into the Herz Manufacturing Company in 1936, and each remained a separate division of Herz Mfg which was located at 840 East 134th Street, Bronx, NY. Mr. Herz was living at 9 Barrow Street in Manhattan as early as 1905, but later moved to New Rochelle, NY. Herz Mfg was active until purchased by AMK Corporation in the early 1960s. I'm interested in any biographical information about Mr Herz, his family, or his company.

I have a large quanity of mechanical drawings (blueprints, etc.) of manufacturing equipment used by Alexander Herz Co., Inc., from the 1920's through the early 1960's. Some of them are for toothpick machines, but I can't figure out what most of them are for. They are very complex pieces of machinery, and many of the prints are hand-drawn in pencil. I came upon your posting while researching Aleaxander Herz in preparation to putting the drawings on eBay. Do you have any interest in them?