Victor J. Evans

Victor Justice Evans, from 'How to Obtain A Patent'
This article is about the British cricketeer. For the British cricketeer, see Victor Evans.

Victor Justice Evans (1865-1931) was the founder one of the largest U.S. patent agencies of his time. Victor J. Evans & Company, Patent Attorneys, was founded in 1898. Evans built up a thriving business based in part on his willingness to offer full refunds to inventors if they were unsuccessful in securing the patents they desired.[1]

By the 1920s, Evans' firm was described as the “largest patent firm in the world”. In addition to its headquarters location in Washington, D.C., it had offices in New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago and San Francisco. The Victor Building, headquarters of the firm, has a long history as an important Washington DC office building.[1] It was initially completed in 1909 at Grant Place NW (now G Place) and 9th Street[1] near the Patent Office.[2] It was expanded twice, in 1911 by architect Appleton P. Clark Jr., and in 1925 by architect Waddy Butler Wood.[2]

Evans' interests included aeronautics, exotic animals, and Native American artifacts and artworks. He had his own private zoo. His collection of art and artifacts was considered one of the largest in the world at the time. He was a significant supporter of both the Smithsonian National Zoo and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, leaving them animals from his private zoo and art and artifacts from his Native American collection on his death.

  1. ^ a b c DeFerrari, John (May 19, 2011). "Victor Evans and the Victor Building downtown". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Victor Building". DC Historic Sites. Retrieved 11 April 2024.