Manz, Jacob, Jr.
Jacob Manz, Jr. (October 1, 1837 - April 25, 1916) was a Swiss-born engraver who was among the most prominent engravers in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century. Born in Marthalen, Switzerland, Manz was apprenticed to a wood engraving firm in Schaffhausen, but the firm dissolved before he could finish his apprenticeship. Facing dim prospects in Europe, he emigrated to America and arrived in Chicago in 1855, among the earliest engravers working in the city. He initially found employment as an engraver for S. D. Childs and Company, and later W. D. Baker. In 1866, he and another engraver surnamed Maas launched their own firm, but Manz became the sole proprietor of the business within a few years. Manz was nearly wiped out by the Panic of 1871, but rebuilt his company (now J. Manz and Company) from the ground up and by the end of the century had become a major player in the heady world of Chicago printing and publishing. Manz added lieutenants with business chops, acquired competitors, and moved to larger premises. By the time of Manz's death in 1916, the firm employed several hundred people, including staff artists (one being the esteemed commercial artist J. C. Leyendecker, 1874 - 1951). Manz had already passed on management of the firm to associates who carried on the company after his death, but it eventually fell into bankruptcy in 1962.
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