Name/Title
39 Knollwood, Sunnyside, 1878Description
One of the first Hartshorn Homes (unnumbered). Lamb & Rich undertook additions for Franklin H. Tinker and William I Russell to House, “Sunnyside,” at 39 Knollwood
Road, Short Hills, N.J.1878-1879, ___; 1882, L.&R.; 1889, L.&R.
Franklin Henry Tinker (August 22, 1852-May 14, 1890)
Franklin Henry Tinker was one of the early residents of Short Hills Park. He lived at William Ingraham Russell’s house, Sunnyside, at 39 Knollwood Road. He was responsible for engaging Lamb & Rich to make additions in 1882 & 1889. He married Grace Bell and had on son Franklin Henry Tinker. Tinker is featured in W.I. Russell’s book, although his name is changed.
Tinker was a publisher, who worked out of Chicago in 1871. One of his earliest publications was a weekly magazine “The Young Pilot: For Young People in their Teens. Tinker then joined with Charles T. Root and came to New York in 1876, where they established Root & Tinker, which became one of the largest publishers of trade journals in the US. Among the journals they published were: “The Clothier and Furnisher,” “The Hatter and Furrier,” “The American Exporter,” The Dry Goods Economist,” and “the Old Paint and Drug Reporter.” He was a member of the Washington Society of New Jersey, the Lotos Club and the Grolier Club. He was also a founding member of Christ Church.
Tinker was an important book collector, who had a collection of 95 First Editions of Charles Dickens’ works, one of 6 known copies of the “Wicked Bible” from 1631 (which omitted the word not from the 7th commandment) original manuscripts of Thomas Carlyle and much more, 345 titles of which were sold at auction by Bangs & Co. in June 1890. He also had a rare collection of Japanese ivories (more than 300), which were featured in an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
He died at his home in Short Hills from meningitis and was buried in St. Stephens cemetery.
See Franklin Tinker in people file.