Recognition
The 1873 Vienna World's Fair provided a showcase for the local artisans. During the Fair, Josef Pauly received the first "Golden Cross for Industrial Merit".[4] The year 1873 was the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Pauly and Sohn. Josef Pauly appeared in a Vienna publication honouring distinguished industrialists.[5] By 1891, the company had received ten awards, including the Medal d'amission ("medal of rightful admission") in Brussels in 1876.[6]
According to a 1903 Vienna newspaper, J. Pauly & Sohn was considered "one of the oldest and most respected companies in the bedding industry" as, at the time of publication, "it had been 31 years since Pauly had obtained the honorary title of K. & K. Purveyor of the Empire and was successfully delivering beds and furniture internationally".[7]
An Imperial and Royal Purveyor (k.u.k. Hoflieferant) was, in Austria-Hungary, a trader of products or services who had a special permit, by imperial privilege, to deliver its goods or services to the court in Vienna. This privilege allowed the suppliers to advertise publicly and exempted them from paying tax. The company received the title only if it was a leader in its industry in quality. The title was therefore a seal of approval of “highest” class, the highest honor that a business could get back then.[8][9]
J. Pauly & Sohn was the first company in Austria to produce handcrafted down feather duvets. They made beds and relaxation furniture, bedroom furniture, mirrors, living room furniture, and furniture for green houses and patios. They offered complete furnishings, beds for children, baby cribs, travel beds and a large variety of bed linen, headboards and products for sleep. In their mattresses and furniture they used materials such as horsehair (a moisture resistant material used at the time in saddles and carriages seats), cotton, wool, springs and silk.
Josef Pauly was succeeded by his son, also named "Josef Pauly". By 1900, the Pauly family had been handcrafting beds for four generations. Nevertheless, the First World War, the fall of the monarchy in 1918, the Great Depression and eventually the Second World War created constant challenges for the company. The last family owner was Dorothea Henning.
No reliable historical, legal, or commercial sources establish a relationship between the original company J. Pauly & Sohn and a contemporary bed company that registered the domain paulybeds.com in 2015.
