Leo Goldschmidt
Leo Goldschmidt was a German-Jewish immigrant who made a name for himself in Tucson as a businessman, bachelor, and amateur photographer.
Goldschmidt was born to a banking family in Hamburg on September 15th, 1852. The eighth of ten children, eight of his siblings would eventually move to the United States. As a 17 year-old, Leo left Germany during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 and reunited with his brother Henry in Kansas. That same year, he departed for Santa Fe, where his sister Mathilda had already established a life with Aaron Zeckendorf, a noted merchant in the Southwest. During his time in New Mexico, Goldschmidt worked for the Speigelberg family, who had a thriving mercantile business. In July of 1878, eight years after his immigration to the United States, Leo, accompanied by his brother Adolph, arrived in Tucson. Later that year, his sister Eva joined them, eventually marrying another Jewish pioneer, Jacob Mansfeld.
Soon after he settled in Tucson, Goldschmidt reunited with Albert Steinfeld, an old friend from Hamburg who was managing a store owned by his uncle, Louis Zeckendorf. The two worked together at the Zeckendorf store and even lived together, but in the late 1870s Goldschmidt went on to open Tucson's first furniture store after he received a loan from Aaron Zeckendorf. Goldschmidt’s venture was hindered by a fire in 1882 that destroyed between $35,000 and $40,000 of his inventory. He survived this catastrophe, however, thanks to a reserve stock of goods kept elsewhere. For six more years, Goldschmidt continued to run and operate the furniture store, before selling it to L. Zeckendorf and Company in 1888. This initial business was only a first step for Goldschmidt, as he and his associate E.N. Fish went on to purchase and manage the Eagle Flour Mill. The mill was established in 1871 by a man named John Y.T. Smith and is still operating today under the name of Arizona Milling Company. Leo owned this mill for 34 years as well as others around Phoenix and Safford. Widening the scope of his business activities even further, Leo traveled south into Sonora throughout the 1890s looking to evaluate possible mining projects.
A significant aspect of Goldschmidt’s life and Tucson history developed in 1886, with the formation of the Owls Club. Initially named “The Mess,” this group was an exclusive club of Tucsonan bachelors which included Leo and his friend, Levi. The name “Owls Club” was inspired by the members’ penchant for extended nocturnal festivities, including dinner parties, poker games, and masked balls, but the refined bachelors also enjoyed visiting local gardens and even fencing. The epicurean nature of the club was reflected by its motto: dum vivimus, vivamus, meaning “let us live while we live.” The club was housed in a CaliforniaCalifornian mission revival-style mansion designed by famous Southwest architect, Henry Trost. Completed in 1900, the building stood at 300 N. Main Avenue, in the historic El Presidio neighborhood, then called Snob Hollow.Members of the Owls Club lived there for two years, at which point Levi Manning bought it. The building was purchased by Albert Steinfeld just a couple of years later, and has since been known as the Steinfeld Mansion. Unwilling to sacrifice their splendor, Owls Club members commissioned Trost to construct a second clubhouse at 378 N. Main Avenue, less than a minute’s walk from the original site. This second building, even more opulent than the first, was also built in the mission revival style, and was completed in 1902. Ten years later, Goldschmidt, still a bachelor, bought out the remaining shares from the Owls Club members and turned the mansion into his home, where he was later joined by his sister Eva, along with her children and grandchildren.
Not to be overlooked is the large body of photography that Goldschmidt left behind after his passing. His work, while amateur, provides us with an intimate gaze into Tucson life in the late 19th century. His work offers an intimate reflection of his personal life, either in the portraits of his relatives at home, friends about town, or in meticulous depiction of his local haunts, such as the Owls Club mansion. The city of Tucson and its surrounding environment interested Goldschmidt as well; his photographic eye was equally attracted to the Catalina Mountains, the Sonoran Desert, and the Santa Cruz River, as well as the lonesome dwellings and the imposing figures of the University of Arizona and San Xavier Mission. The buildings appear almost as monoliths in this desert oasis that once was. Ultimately, Tucson, as revealed in Goldschmidt’s eye, is a crossroads of time, cultures, and peoples.
Leo eventually retired in 1922 but his presence in several of Tucson’s communities did not fade. He continued to have stakes in both cattle and mining operations; he was a supporter of the Saturday Morning Musical Club and once donated an organ worth more than $1,000 to the Temple of Music and Art; and he collected artworks throughout his retirement as well. Leo passed away on January 15th, 1944 at 91 years of age, after having lived in this city for sixty six years.
Leo Goldschmidt photograph collection, MS 437, Bloom Southwest Jewish Archives
Leo Goldschmidt Photograph Collection, PC 208, Arizona Historical Society
Cholent and Chorizo, by Abraham Chanin
Jewish Settlers in the Arizona Territory, by Blaine Lamb
Photo credits: Arizona Historical Society