Mark Cross is a well known American brand that was launched in 1845 by the Cross family. It was started as a harness, saddle and bridle maker. In 1892, the company was taken over by an employee, Patrick Murphy. His son, Gerald Murphy was part of a glamorous group who lived in Antibes on the French Riviera in the 1920's. His set included F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, Cole Porter and John dos Passos, among others who were the leading artists and writers of that era and who had great style. His home, Villa America, was the center of social life of this high profile group. Murphy and his wife, Sarah, were the inspirations for Nicole and Dick Diver in F.Scott Fitzgerald's novel, Tender Is The Night. Murphy was an artist who painted and he became the creative force behind Mark Cross as we know it today.
