Salz, Ansley K.

Ansley K. Salz established the A. K. Salz Tannery in 1929. Son-in-law Norman Lezin continued the business until it closed in 2001. The tannery site was redeveloped by the city in 2005 as the Tannery Arts Center.

• The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture (4th ed. 2023), Chapter Six, item (3), page 183-184.

Information attached to the SPCL photo at right: "Ansley Kullman Salz holding a sample of the leather made by his company, the A. K. Salz Tannery in Santa Cruz, California. Ansley bought the San Lorenzo Tannery in 1917 with a relative named Herman Kullman and renamed it the Kullman Salz Tannery. The partnership was dissolved and the Kullman Salz Tannery closed in 1929 due to a failing economy. Ansley Kullman Salz purchased the tannery outright that year and named it the A.K. Salz Tannery. A concert violinist, Ansley thought of leather making as an art form. In so doing, he created the legendary "California Saddle Leather TM" which became an industry standard in the 1950's. A.K. Salz Tannery remained a premier West Coast Tannery until its closure in December, 2001. Source of information: Jeremy Lezin. Creator: Adams, Ansel. Date: 1954"