COURTESY OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
FINE ARTS LIBRARY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY
John Gustave Richard Heckscher (1822-1901)
Creator: Mathew B. Brady & Studio
Date: ca. 1857
Medium: Carte-de-viste photograph
Dimensions: 17 13/16 x 13 in.
John Gustave Richard Heckscher, known as Richard Heckscher, was born in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg on August 6, 1822. He was baptized and later confirmed in the Lutheran Church.
He served in the banking house of E. Merck & Co., in Hamburg, and later in a similar capacity in Paris. He left le Havre (France) bound for America on March 18, 1844 on the French ship, the St. Nicholas.
He landed in New York City, at 8 p.m., on the 18th day of April, 1844 after a voyage of thirty-one days.
Here, in conjunction with his uncle, Charles A. Heckscher, he became interested in the development of anthracite mines in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
As the president of the New York and Schuylkill Coal Company, and manager of the Forest Improvement Company, he developed and operated numerous collieries at Heckscherville, Thomaston, Forestville, Minersville and other points in Schuylkill County.
Later, with his cousin August Heckscher of New York, he opened the Kohinoor collieries in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. It is said that he introduced many original designs and mechanical devices of great value in anthracite mining, and to a great extent revolutionized the method of conducting these operations with the originality and perfection of his system and organization.
Richard Heckscher was for many years President of the Lehigh Zinc and Iron Company, of Bethlehem Pennsylvania, and of Richard Heckscher & Sons Company, whose blast furnaces were in Swedeland, Pennsylvania.
Richard Heckscher was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in the Court of Common Pleas in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania on September 8, 1851.
He died on July 10, 1901 and was buried on July 13 in the family plot at Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA.
His home of many years, at 260 South 18th Street in Philadelphia, still stands to this day.
A family tree of John Gustave Richard Heckscher
as prepared by John Marshall
John Gustave Richard Heckscher, age 23
Date: ca. 1845 / Medium: B&W daguerreotype
Provenance:
unknown origin; in the possession of Gustave Heckscher II at the time of his death. Photographic copy made in 2003.
Family of Richard and Lucretia Heckscher
Date: ca. 1886 / Medium: B&W photograph
(l-r, standing)
Ledyard Heckscher (1872-1951), Richard Percy Heckscher (1860-1903), Lucretia Stevens Heckscher (1882-1949), Gustave Adolph Heckscher (1869-1946)
(l-r, sitting)
Stevens Heckscher (1875-1931), Johanna Barbara Heckscher (1864-1930), John Gustave Richard Heckscher (1822-1901), Lucretia Ledyard Stevens (1830-1907), Maurice Heckscher (1865-1905)
Not shown: John Austin Stevens Heckscher (1858-1910)
Provenance:
Unknown origin; in the possession of Gustave Heckscher II (1914-2006) at the time of his death. Photographic copy made in 2004.
"The Heckscher Men of Philadelphia"
Date: ca. 1895 / Medium: B&W photograph / Dimensions: 9 ½" x 13 ½"
(l-r, rear)
Ledyard Heckscher (1872-1951), Stevens Heckscher (1875-1931), and Gustave Adolph Heckscher (1869-1946)
(l-r, front)
Richard Percy Heckscher (1860-1903), John Austin Stevens Heckscher (1858-1910), John Gustave Richard Heckscher (1822-1901), and Maurice Heckscher (1865-1905)
Provenance:
Unknown origin; in the possession of John Gustave Richard Heckscher (1909-1980) at the time of his death; by descent to his wife Anna Heckscher (1910-1996); Maurice Heckscher II.
