Jacob Ulrich Holfeldt Tostrup var født på Hjelmeland i Ryfylke og kom 17 år gammel i gullsmedlære i Bergen.
Etter læretiden oppholder han seg en årrekke i Danmark, Russland og Tyskland.
Han tar borgerskap i Christiania i 1832 og begynner samtidig verksted i Øvre Vollgate.
I 1838 kjøper han gård i Kirkegaten 20 hvor han også åpner forretning. Her blir firmaet til 1890 da de kjøper Karl Johans gate 25 og flytter verksted og forretning dit. Samme året dør Jacob Tostrup.
Jacob Tostrup var utvilsomt sin tids dyktigste gullsmed.
Jacob Ulrich Holfeldt Tostrup was born in Hjelmeland in Ryfylke and, at the age of 17, was apprenticed as a goldsmith in Bergen.
Once he had finished his apprenticeship, he spent many years working in Denmark, Russia and Germany.
Tostrup was officially licensed in Christiania in 1832 and opened workshop in Øvre Vollgate the same year.
In 1838 he bought a building at Kirkegaten 20, where he also opened a retail shop. The entire business remained there until 1890 at which time Tostrup bought Karl Johans gate 25 and moved both workshop and retail shop to the address.business there.
Tostrup died the same year.
He was without doubt the most skilled goldsmith of the age.
