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G.A. ROEDDE LTD, BOOKBINDERS & PRINTERS
G.A. Roedde opened Vancouver's first book-bindery in 1887, over a butcher shop at 36 Cordova Street.
The G.A. Roedde Ltd. |
Matilda Roedde
occasionally worked at the bindery in those early days. You can see from the photograph that he already employed a number of people. The bindery business grew, as there were three more moves, each time to larger premises: #50 Cordova Street in 1890; 225 Cambie Street in 1897; and then to 427 Richards Street and 414 Hastings Street in 1910. In 1916, at 616 Homer Street, they built a large, very modern building for that time, containing a freight elevator which served three floors at 616 Homer Street (1916). By the time the house at 1415 Barclay was built he was prosperous--a long way from his first cramped shop on Cordova Street only six years before.
Advertisement for the bindery |
G.A. Roedde was also become the printing manager of the "News-Advertiser," the first newspaper in North America to use an electric press.
Gustav also made this beautifully bound correspondance box, which would have contained paper, ink pens, and ink. |
Roedde's firm was extremely well-known for its hand-crafted book bindings. Its first public success was at the Chicago World's Fair of 1898, where G. A. Roedde's beautiful St. Bernard dog "Rex" pulled a small cart displaying a large leather bound book in the parade. 
Roedde company float in a parade |
G. A. Roedde and his sons are remembered by those who worked with them as perfectionists. The company was recognized as a first class printing shop and had many prestigious customers. They did hand painted menus for the CPR Empress Liners, as well as regular business with the Hotel Vancouver, Woodwards, Spencers, Hudsons Bay, U.B.C., The Royal Vancouver Yacht Club and Troreys, who were exclusive jewelry dealers in Vancouver.
The firm is listed as "G. A. Roedde, Bookbinders, Stationers and Printers" in Vancouver directories of the early 20th century. As G.A. Roedde was opposed to unionization, the company rule at the Roedde business was that no employee was to be involved with trade unions. One young apprentice was fired for simply taking a correspondence course in bookbinding from the ITU (International Trade Union). The strength of Mr. Roedde's anti-union sentiments lasted long after his death. The workers at G. A. Roedde Ltd. did not unionize until 1977.
Gustav Roedde made several beautiful velvet eggs as gifts for his daughters and
Granddaughters. The older girls received a small bottle of perfume in their eggs and the younger girls
received a doll. |
When they were old enough, G.A. Roedde brought his sons: Gus and Bill into the business. G. A. Roedde, Sr. eventually became Managing Director and head of the firm in name only, while his sons ran the business. The Roedde family is no longer involved in the business, but it still operates, over one hundred years later, as G. A. Roedde, Ltd.
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