LOWY, 1907.
New York City’s trusted leader for custom framing and fine art services since 1907.
Julius Lowy Frame and Restoring Company was originally founded in Manhattan in 1907 by Julius Lowy. For the last 70 years, the company has thrived under three generations of the Shar Family.
THE EARLY YEARS
In 1907, European immigrant Julius Lowy established a business in Manhattan specializing in custom framing and art restoration. The company enjoyed success and by the early 1920s Lowy was living with his family on the Upper West Side.
On the rainy night of April 26, 1922, Lowy was traveling through Central Park with two of his co-workers when their vehicle slid off East Drive near 86th Street, violently colliding into two trees. The car was destroyed and the crash was so loud it woke up nearby Fifth Avenue residents. Sadly, Julius Lowy did not survive the crash and Lowy’s shop foreman, Abraham Levy, sustained serious injuries. The driver, Julius Lowenbein, was uninjured.
Upon his tragic death, Lowy’s widow Florence took over the business and, after recovering from his injuries, Abraham Levy became her business partner. Under their leadership, the company took on larger projects for distinguished New York institutions like the New York Public Library and grew their reputation by forging relationships with prominent American artists like Childe Hassam and George Bellows.
HILLY SHAR
Hillard “Hilly” Shar grew up in Hudson, New York and, after receiving an accounting degree, moved to Manhattan. Accounting jobs were hard to come by in Depression-Era New York City, so he took a general factotum position at his cousin Abraham Levy’s custom framing and art restoration business.
Hilly immediately took an interest in all the framing and restoration projects happening at the busy studios. Determined to learn the craft, he observed the conservators, experimented with techniques and borrowed books from the library to learn art restoration. Over time, Hilly rose to become Lowy’s most talented conservator.
In the late ‘40s, after years of trying to convince the Lowy owners to make him a partner, Hilly and his colleague John Sisto left Lowy to establish their own business, Shar-Sisto, Inc. In a short period of time, most of Lowy’s clientele had become loyal to Shar-Sisto, Inc. In 1956, the two firms merged to become Julius Lowy and Shar-Sisto Inc. When John Sisto died a year later, Hilly Shar became sole proprietor and the first generation from the Shar Family to operate Julius Lowy Frame and Restoring Company.
LARRY SHAR
Following in his father’s footsteps, Larry Shar became the second generation from the Shar Family to operate Julius Lowy Frame and Restoring Company. Growing up, Larry frequently went to work with his father, Hilly. Under his father’s guidance, he learned all aspects of the business, from cleaning and lining paintings to gilding, burnishing, and finishing frames.
In 1969, Larry joined Lowy in a professional capacity after earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Brandeis University. Ten years later, he succeeded his father as president. For more than 40 years, Larry managed daily operations of Lowy until his son Brad Shar took the helm.
Larry continues to play an active role at Lowy. As a longtime member of the American Institute of Conservation, the Art and Antique Dealers League of America and the Appraisers Association of America, Larry continues to advise clients on the quality and value of their artworks and how to prioritize a collection’s needs.
BRAD SHAR
Following in his father’s footsteps, Brad Shar began working alongside his father Larry at an early age. He joined Lowy professional while attending The New School, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history in 1996.
Representing the third generation of the Shar Family to operate Julius Lowy Frame and Restoring Company, Brad sees himself as a bridge between the past and the future. With a deep knowledge of art history and an encyclopedic understanding of antique frames, Brad has been instrumental in adopting new technology to help improve on the services for which Lowy has become synonymous and expand the company’s fine art service offerings including long and short-term fine art storage in New York City.
In addition to managing Lowy’s daily operations, Brad enjoys working with clients, world-famous artworks and a close-knit team of veteran tradespeople. Brad continues to bring cutting-edge technology to Julius Lowy Frame and Restoring Company while maintaining the uncompromising standards of old-world craftsmanship.
THE BACKROOM
Stories and insight from over a century of framing and restoring art in New York City.
ART, IMPROVED.
Lowy offers guidance and expertise for our clients’ individual framing and fine art conservation needs. Providing our clients with the most comprehensive curatorial fine art services is Lowy’s north star.
Our consultants offer unparalleled knowledge and personalized assistance in everything from assessing the condition of artwork and recommending proper conservation treatments to providing aesthetically appropriate frames.
Lowy’s reputation for excellence is largely due to our staff of highly educated professional art conservators, artisans, museum-quality frame consultants, photographers and art handlers.
REQUEST QUOTE
Are you looking for fine art professionals to install a few newly acquired works of art at your private residence? Do you have a large collection of art that needs all new frames but don’t know where to start? Is there a new piece in your collection that needs its current condition digitally documented? Lowy has you covered.
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