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V13 2010 INDEX       E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 13, Number 17, April 25, 2010, Article 14

FRANK DUPEE FOUND IN NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

Walt Weigand writes:

Frank Dupee Stamps and Coins Using online genealogical resources, I locate a Frank H. Dupee under "Numismatists" in a circa 1950 directory. His business address is listed as 204 George St, New Haven, CT [downtown area]. This would corroborate Jud Petrie's recollection.

Comments from readers suggested that New Haven and 1950-ish sounded like the most promising leads. The Ancestry.com website has a 1950 Census Substitute search available to subscribers. It makes use of City Directories from the mid-1940's thru the 1950's. For non-subscribers, it permits searches but teases you with only partial views of the "hits". I'm not a subscriber, but searched "Frank" "Dupee" "New Haven" anyway.

Among the "hits" was one headed "Numismatists" which included Frank H. Dupee, 204 Geo[rge St] and 2 other dealers. Ancestry does not include enough of the original page image to see the date or directory name. There are other "hits" from which one can speculate on his other business activities, home address, middle name, etc.

Kay O. Freeman writes:

In 1960, New Haven, Connecticut City Directory, I found Frank H. Dupee, stamps & coins, 204 George. His home is 17 Dawson Ave., West Haven. Frank Henry Dupee is full name.

Born November 14, 1904. Dies January 1, 1992, in Los Angeles, CA. (Mother's maiden name Sperry). Married to Anna Mae Dupee - born October 29, 1908. Dies July 19, 1980, in Los Angeles, CA. (mother's maiden name Jerolman)

1941-1942 New Haven City Directory: Frank H. Dupee, clerk, 123 Church. Home 17 Dawson, WH

1949 New Haven City Directory: Frank H. Dupee, Pres & Tres. Frank H. Dupee, Inc., 37-39 Temple. Home 17 Dawson Ave.,WH

1957 New Haven: same listing as 1949; but business address is 41 Temple. His wife is always included in the Directory listing.

Walt Weigand adds:

The following information is extracted from annuals of the Price & Lee Greater New Haven [CT] Directory:

From 1946 thru 1959 Frank H. Dupee is listed as associated with Frank Henry, Inc, a florist located on Temple St in New Haven. In the 1960 edition he is no longer a florist but shows up for the first time listed in the business section under "Numismatists" at a downtown address of 204 George St. His listing for his West Haven home address has him as "stamps & coins". These entries remain unchanged thru the 1968 Directory. He is completely missing from the 1969 edition. He apparently moved away around that time- the SS Death Index has him dying in California in 1992.

So, in answer to the original query, Frank Dupee Stamps & Coins was located at 204 George St, New Haven, CT, from about 1960 to 1968.

Walt and Kay were in a neck-and-neck tie to be the first to nail down a location for the Frank Dupee Coin & Stamp shop pictured on Dick Johnson's post card. Great work!

But wait! There's more! Check out Wednesday's response from a web site visitor. -Editor

Jane Dupee writes:

Frank Dupee's coin shop was at 204 George Street, near Temple Street in New Haven, CT. He operated the coin shop there from at least 1962-1968, possibly as early as 1959.

My husband, Ray Dupee, and his brother, Howard, worked in Uncle Frank's coin shop summers and vacations in the early 1960s. The coin shop was demolished to make way for a high rise.

Frank Dupee lived in West Haven, CT until he moved to Long Beach, CA, in the late 1960s or early 70s. He died January 1, 1992, at age 87.

The very small building in the picture at the back of the “block” was Louis' Lunch, a legendary New Haven landmark. It is claimed to be the originator of what we know as the hamburger. They cooked the meat vertically.

Just before the afore-mentioned demolition, in the late 1960s or early 70s, Louis Lunch was moved to 261 Crown Street in New Haven, where it remains. See www.louislunch.com

I have standing automated searches on Google and eBay for any new mentions of “Dupee.” The coin shop picture and reference showed up a couple weeks ago on the Google search, and a couple times since.

The picture was very familiar to us. I think I've seen the postcard on eBay, also. When I saw that it was being attributed to Boston. I had to set that straight !!!

I asked my husband if he had any more info Uncle Frank's coin shop. He remembered that Uncle Frank advertised his business with Indian Head pennies mounted in a horseshoe shaped metal. Ray and his brother helped with waiting on customers, Ray mostly on the stamp side, and Howard mostly on the coin side.

It's astounding sometimes how a simple query in The E-Sylum can be answered so definitively in just a week or two. Our back issue archive plays a role in that, as seen here. By posting our back issues on the Internet, people who don't even know The E-Sylum exists can find US and offer assistance.

Many thanks to Jane, Kay, Walt and everyone who participated, as well as Dick Johnson for providing the postcard to kick off this discussion. Now the question is, can anyone locate one of Dupee's Lucky Penny advertising pieces? -Editor

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: FRANK DUPEE: A STUDY IN NUMISMATIC RESEARCH (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n16a18.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com

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