Moise Waldhorn, an immigrant from Alsace, France, established a pawnshop, the People’s Loan Office, on the corner of Royal and Conti Streets in 1881. Waldhorn began to take in furniture and jewelry from families that were still suffering in the wake of the Civil War, and eventually his pawnshop became one of the earliest antiques stores in the city. Waldhorn’s Antiques operated in the same spot for over 130 years.