Allmore Aaron; Co-Founder of Art and Framing Store Chain
Allmore (Al) Aaron, co-founder of Aaron Brothers art and framing stores, has died at the age of 83.
Aaron, who launched the chain with his brother Len in 1946, died Sunday in Newport Beach of cancer.
The two brothers set up shop originally at 126 N. La Brea Ave. in Los Angeles, specializing in photography and family portraits. Rapidly establishing shops throughout California, they expanded their merchandise to include custom and ready-made frames and art supplies.
Innovative marketers, the brothers introduced their now famous “One-Cent Frame Sale” in the 1970s, offering for every frame sold a second frame of the same or lower price for a penny.
Although the brothers sold the business in 1977, Al Aaron remained an unofficial advisor throughout his retirement. The chain now has 72 shops, including outlets in Arizona and Nevada.
“I admired his passion, not just for the business, but life in general,” said Bruce Dale, the current president of Aaron Brothers. “He was a class act, and we will all miss him very much.”
Aaron also operated an art gallery in Newport Beach, which specialized in floral paintings and enabled him to exercise his interest in fine art and collectibles.
“When a child is unhappy and can turn to a friendly looking painting, it helps her realize the whole world really isn’t so bad,” he told The Times in 1965, advocating that parents buy art for their children.
In a typical philanthropic gesture in 1982, Aaron and his wife, Eileen, donated a bronze sculpture by David Aronson to the University of Judaism in Bel-Air.
The businessman and art dealer was active in several charities, including the City of Hope, which had designated him as a man of the year for his efforts.
In addition to his wife and brother Len, Aaron is survived by another brother, Charles; five children, Michael, David, Mary, Mark and Andrea, and several grandchildren.
A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at Mt. Sinai in Burbank. The family has asked that any memorial donations be sent to the City of Hope in Duarte for cancer research.