Sincer, Louis

Submitted by Mike Miller

Louis Sincer, painter of New Orleans, La. There are few branches of industrial art that have attained such prominence as that of the decoration of our homes and general surroundings and Mr. Sincer stand. at the head of his profession and is talented and deservedly successful. He has devoted his attention to this useful calling for the past forty years, twenty-seven years of which time he has been extensively engaged in contracting, in fact, one of the most extensive in the city of New Orleans. He was born in Natchez, Miss., in 1839, his father, Louis Sincer, having been a native of Germany, from which country he came to the United States when a young man, or about 1830, and located as a butcher in the city of Natcbez. In 1847 he took up hi. residence in the city of New Orleans, but died very soon after locating, and although he had always been an industrious and faithful worker he was not a successful financier, and at the time of his death left his wife, son and daughter almost penniless. Louis Sincer, the subject of this sketch, attended school up to the death of his father, at which time he was. compelled to abandon all thought of $ better education, and was compelled from necessity to accept a position as first clerk in an Italian fruit stand for the sum of $6 per month, working from four o'clock in the morning to twelve o'clock at night. He afterward became an employe, at the coffee stand of the old St. Charles theater for $8 per month and at a still later period he entered the employ of Arthur O'Donnell, a celebrated character of New Orleans at that time, and a liquor dealer by occupation. From that time until 1858 Mr. Sincer followed various callings and then commenced to learn the painter's trade under John Breen, with whom he remained until the strained relations between the North and south culminated in civil war in 1861, when he espoused the cause of his section and was detailed by the confederate government in the Dixie works at Canton, Miss., where he was engaged in the manufacture of ambulance., gun carriages, etc., until the surrender of Vicksburg to General Grant, at which time the works were moved to Macon, Ga. After the termination of hostilities Mr. Sincer returned to New Orleans, and for a short time was employed by the United States government on the Illinois Central railroad, after which he again turned his attention to painting, this time a. a contractor in partnership with John Kellett, but afterward became associated in the same line of work with Adolph Conrad. Mr. Sincer has always been interested in the political affairs of his section, but being strongly opposed to rings and cliques, he identified himself with the Young Men's Democratic party and has always loaned his aid to men and measures rather than party. For thirty-one years he has been connected with the honorable order of Masons, in which he has attained to the council. Since embarking in business Mr. Sincer has executed a vast amount of work, and such has been the able manner in which it has been performed that universal satisfaction has ever been expressed. He is favorably known and highly endorsed by leading architects, builders and property owners, for he has thoroughly familiarized himself with all departments of his work, and is recognized as one of the leading exponents of the art in New Orleans. In 1859 he married Miss Mary Elizabeth Hennessey, a relative of the late chief of police of New Orleans, who was killed by Italians.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 499-500. Published by the Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.