PERMALBA Oil Paint Brush Set of 8, FILBERT BRISTLE -NEW

Originating in 1853 as Scholz & Company, a sales agency, the company evolved through a series of growth partnerships to become F. Weber and Company in 1887, under the leadership of its owner, Frederick Weber. Throughout the late 19th century, F. Weber and Company offered a wide range of imported and manufactured products. A significant number of patents for innovative art products were awarded to the company.

The disruption of commerce during World War I caused American artists to seek more American made art materials thereby creating a need and an opportunity for F. Weber to expand its manufacturing capabilities. By the early 1920’s, in addition to its manufacturing and distribution facilities, F. Weber and Company also had three retail stores; in Philadelphia, Baltimore and St. Louis.

Since its purchase in 1980 by the Kapp family, and under the continuing guidance of Dennis Kapp, the now named, Martin/F. Weber Co. produces an ever widening range of exceptional art materials for artists of all skill levels and signature artists’ products for such well known contemporary television artist/teachers as Bob Ross, Susan Scheewe and Bruce Blitz.

For a century and a half, the name Weber has been synonymous with quality art materials. Established in 1853 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Martin/F. Weber Co. is the oldest and one of the largest manufacturers of art materials in the United States.

After the death of Mr. Weber in 1919, his sons, Frederick (Fred) and Ernest, incorporated the company, becoming F. Weber Co. Inc. Fred, among other significant responsibilities within the organization, became Technical Director. A creative artist and chemist, as well as author of artists’ materials books, he developed many new products. One of the most notable, is Original Permalba White, first formulated in 1921. Fred Weber was the first to develop a nontoxic, opaque, white oil paint with smooth working qualities to replace the toxic, lead-based whites that artists had used for hundreds of years. It remains the artists’ standard in white oil paint.

In the 1930’s Mr. Weber introduced new pigments to the industry with excellent lightfastness and reduced toxicity to the artist and synthetic varnishes to replace the less stable natural materials used in the past. Turpenoid, an exceptional odorless turpentine replacement which is still the finest available, was introduced in the 1950’s. This remarkably early commitment to the development of safer art materials continues to the present.