Cosack, Julius Herman

Julius Herman Cosack (February 15, 1826 - May 2, 1892) was a German-American engraver based in Buffalo, New York, in the second half of the 19th century. Cosack was born in Danzig, Germany, where he apprenticed as a lithographic engraver before emigrating to the United States in 1853. He spent 3 years in New York before relocating to Buffalo, where he took a job with the lithographic firm of Sage and Sons. There he met the English-American artist and lithographer Hugh De Musgrove Clay (1834 - 1904), with whom he founded, in 1864, the lithography firm of 'Clay and Cosack.' The partnership lasted about 13 years before Clay split off to found another firm with Henry A. Richmond. From 1878, Cosack operated independently as 'Cosack and Company' before taking on Edwin Alonso Clark (1848 - 1881) as a partner in 1880. The firm subsequently operated as 'Cosack and Clark'. Clark died suddenly in 1881, and the firm reverted again to 'Cosack and Company'. Soon afterward, Cosack took on Herman T. Koerner (1855 - 1927) and Charles Eugene Hayes (1858 - c. 1910) as partners, but did not change the imprint. The firm became prominent, acquiring a large five-story building in downtown Buffalo and installing presses capable of printing 200,000 sheets a day. When Cosack died in 1892, the firm was taken over fully by Koerner and Hayes, who introduced their own imprint, with Robert Heussler as an unnamed third printer. Although very active at the end of the 19th century, operating one of the largest lithographic print shops in the U.S. and known for its vibrant chromolithographic advertisements, broadsides, and other works, the firm overextended, became indebted, and filed for bankruptcy in 1900. Two weeks later, a buyer for the company was found, and it was renamed the Hayes Lithographing Company, with Koerner being 'retired.' The Hayes Lithographing Company continued to operate until about 1920, publishing books, musical scores, and even food-serving trays, in addition to advertising, posters, and trade cards.