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Gerber Bros.

Updated: Aug 7

Gerber Bros. was founded by Sidney “Sid” Gerber in the 1930s. The Seattle-based company initially sold imported skis from Asia before eventually manufacturing their own skis, poles, “bear trap” bindings, ski wax, and other accessories.




Origins


Sidney Gerber was born around 1909 in Medina, just across Lake Washington from Seattle. Just as it is today, Medina was an affluent community and the Gerber family was no exception. (Fun fact: Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos are among several billionaires currently with residences in this area, where the average home value is nearly $4.7 million.) My research has not revealed what Sidney's parents did, but they might have been involved in the canned seafood industry.


Sidney attended MIT and earned a degree in engineering around 1932; however, he struggled to find a job after graduation. His wife later suggested this was due to his being Jewish, which was supposedly a common issue at the time.


With no job prospects, his parents funded a trip around the world. He spent time in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. In Japan, he met with sales representatives, likely his parents’ business contacts, and sold canned sardines to earn money.


Upon returning to Seattle, Sidney began receiving sporting goods from the Japanese sales reps. which included bikes and skis, with hopes of developing a market for them in North America. The bikes were reportedly junk, but the skis were a different story. It is unclear if he had ever skied before this time, but the arrival of the Japanese skis inspired him to hit the slopes.


Sidney Gerber piloting a sailboat between 1940 and 1950. Property of University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections.
Sidney Gerber piloting a sailboat between 1940 and 1950. Property of University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections.


Paradise


In 1935, Sidney married Anne Convisar. They went skiing together every weekend on Mt. Rainier and in a 1983 interview, Anne recalled their trips. She said they would drive to the end of the plowed road on Fridays and then hike the remaining distance to Paradise Lodge. This three-mile trek through the snow was done with all their supplies for the weekend, often in the dark.


Anne Gerber holding a snowball at Mt. Rainier, probably between 1940 and 1950. Property of University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections.
Anne Gerber holding a snowball at Mt. Rainier, probably between 1940 and 1950. Property of University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections.

Along with Timberline on Mt. Hood, OR, Paradise was a skiing epicenter in the Northwest during the mid-1930s. The National Downhill and Slalom Championships and Olympic team tryouts for the 1936 Winter Olympics were held there in 1935.


Skier wearing a number 20, skiing downhill as a crowd watches on a snowy slope. Tall trees line the background.
Men's slalom at the Skiing National Championships on April 13, 1935. Tacoma Public Library: Richards Studio Collection

One day at Paradise, Sidney met an older gentleman from Seattle who manufactured bindings in the Ballard neighborhood. After this encounter, Sidney might have worked for the man for a short while. Regardless, he eventually purchased the company outright.


Around this time, Sidney also began manufacturing his own skis. It is unclear whether he incorporated Gerber Bros. earlier and sold the Japanese skis under that name or created the brand solely for his own gear. I found both 1931 and 1932 listed as founding years for Gerber Bros., but neither fits well into the timeline my research has uncovered.



In addition to skis, Sidney made and sold other equipment, which was often based on the product designs he acquired from the Ballard binding manufacturer.





Anderson & Thompson


Gerber Bros. didn’t last long as a ski manufacturer. Anderson & Thompson Ski Co., another Seattle-based company, was founded in either 1932 or 1934 to manufacture one of the first laminated skis. It became evident to Sidney that he couldn’t compete with the patented technology.


Instead of giving up, he joined forces with A&T.

While one source claims he outright purchased A&T in 1936, others suggest he bought into the company -- the latter seems most accurate.



While Gerber Bros.’s written history fades after their absorption with A&T, they appeared to continue operating and manufacturing hardframe backpacks. My research uncovered both a military packboard from 1942 and a bamboo-framed pack with the original Gerber logo. Given the logo is both a colored and an embroidered patch, it seems more likely these packs were for the consumer market.



By 1945, Sidney’s ski ventures were beginning to make some money. Not only had A&T supplied skis to the military, but soldiers returning from the war found a similar rush on the slopes as they did overseas -- skiing was booming in popularity.



Art and Desegregation


Due to Sidney’s post-war success, and likely his generational wealth, he started giving Anne Gerber an “art budget." This allowed her to acquire pieces during his business trips, especially to New York. Over time, Anne became a prolific contemporary and Northcoast Indigenous art collector. Her contributions can be found in museums around the Northwest.


Besides his skiing and art interests, Sidney became a champion for civil rights in Seattle. He was notably the founder of the Fair Housing Listing Service, which connected minority buyers with properties for sale in predominantly white neighborhoods.


Anne fondly referred to him as a “...liberal with a capital L.”

Sidney retired from “the ski business” when he was about 51 (around 1960) to fight desegregation full-time. Unfortunately, he passed away on May 16, 1965; he was piloting a plane over the Stevens Pass area when he encountered bad weather and crashed. Despite an extensive search effort, the plane wasn’t discovered until more than three years later.



Miscellaneous Insights


While I might be grasping at straws for content, one more interesting bit of information I uncovered was a Seattle Department of Community Development Landmarks Preservation Board Seattle Historic Building Data Sheet from 1977. This document considered nominating The New Pacific Apartments (2600 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121) as a historical landmark. A footnote in the document stated: “It might also be noted that one of the early owner-industries in the structure was Gerber Bros. Ski Equipment, which moved its A & T plant from there to East Spruce Street.” The building, constructed in 1904, still stands today.


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Gerber Bros. Apparel


If you remember Gerber Skis, are a new-found fan after reading this, or simply like the graphics, here are a few Gerber Bros. branded products Retro Outdoor Tees has in stock:






Author's Notes


There is limited information about Gerber Bros., and much of it is conflicting. I apologize for the choppy and possibly confusing post. As with all articles about the history of less mainstream brands, this piece isn’t set in stone. I plan to edit it as necessary and welcome suggestions and criticisms from primary sources.


It should also be noted according to the aforementioned interview with his wife, there is no mention of Sidney actually manufacturing his own skis. She only discussed the import and sales of the Japanese skis. Two other interesting points: 1) There is no mention of Sidney having a male sibling, so why “Bros.”? 2) If he had trouble obtaining an engineering position due to his Jewish background, why would he brand his company with a popular Ashkenazi Jewish surname?



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