L'Aiglon label

Historic photograph of Biberman Building

Ladies Home Journal ad for L'Aiglon, 1922

Examples of dresses designed in the 1930-50s in the Biberman Building

With the assistance of Powers & Company, Inc. in 2007, the Biberman Building was successfully listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Biberman Building is a six story reinforced concrete manufacturing plant at 611-619 N. 15th Street just north of City Hall.  The owners, EB Realty, plan to rehabilitate the building using Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives into apartment units with a commercial food venue on the first floor.  When finished, the Biberman Building will complement 640 N. Broad Street, another rehab project by the realty firm. 

Constructed between 1919 and 1920, the Biberman Building served as an important manufacturing plant and design center for Biberman Bros., Inc., makers of women’s day dresses from 1920 through 1968. Begun by the four Biberman brothers in 1898, the company rose to fame across the country for the creation of the L'Aiglon line of dresses, a popular well-made day dress featured in Ladies Home Journal and sold in exclusive department stores and dress shops.  The Biberman Building was the largest producer of ready-to-wear women’s dresses in the Philadelphia area for at least thirteen years, from 1920 through 1933. After this time, the company continued to base its headquarters in the building until nearly 1970, during which time the firm was one of the leading women’s dress manufacturers in the region.