Rain splashing outside. The clippity-clop of horses' hoofs upon the pavement blocks. The roar of trains upon the Elevated, almost directly above. And Louis Sherry stroking his moustache as he stands in the door of his new candy shop and restaurant, which he is to open this very evening-the year is 1881. Perhaps, he thinks, he has made a mistake in undertaking this venture. Perhaps New York is not quite ready for a place of this sort. But soon there would not be many evenings to be standing in the doorway of his shop, watching the traffic in the avenue. Business begins to pour in upon him and from the outset his confections were met with instant acclaim. Sherry's grew with New York from this first location at 662 Sixth Avenue to 37th and Fifth Avenue and again to his flagship store at 691 Madison Ave (now occupied by HERMES). From these locations, elegant lavender tins of chocolate were turned out for all the world to enjoy. Louis Sherry leaves New York the legacy of the Sherry-Netherland Hotel, and his eponymous confectionary brand. Together, they are, and will continue on as surviving institutions of New York's gilded age.