Graduation time is upon us – the time for caps, gowns, and in the early 1900’s, graduation gloves. Tucker Glove Company had the slogan, “Go to a Glove Store for Gloves!” and was a premier menswear and ladies’ glove store in downtown Indianapolis for over forty years. Hannibal S. Tucker started the company in 1878, specializing in fine menswear. In the early 1900’s, he added a ladies’ glove section, as mentioned in this ad. H. S. Tucker died suddenly in 1904 of a stroke, and his widow, Robina, continued to operate the store until around 1920, when the family moved to Chicago.
The Tucker Glove Company stayed behind in Indianapolis when the family moved, and Robina sold the company to Emile Eberle, a man well-known in the glove business in both the United States and France. Unfortunately, the Tucker Glove Company folded before 1925, when Emile also moved to Chicago.
(Thanks to Sharon Butsch-Freeland for her research assistance for this article!)
