One of the city’s oldest antiques shops, Keil’s was founded in 1899 by Hermina Keil, who emigrated from a region on the border of France and Germany. Called Royal Antiques because of its location on Royal Street, the store thrived, fed by its owner’s growing expertise in fine silver and jewelry. Hermina’s son, Morris Keil, and devoted daughter-in-law Margaret (who worked at the shop a full decade before marrying into the family) later expanded the inventory by curating European antiques. The couple’s buying trips across the ocean—a journey made by boat at the time—were a family affair that sparked interest for their children.
