He was also an art collector. In 1877 Kendall founded the Kendall Bank Note Company and later changed the name to the New York Bank Note Company. In 1892 he replaced Russell Sage as president of the company.
He had a long running dispute with the New York Stock Exchange because they would not list companies with securities that were engraved by him.
In 1913 he accused Senator Stephen J. Stilwell of demanding a bribe. He died in 1924 at the Sherman Square Hotel, and he was estimated to be about 70 years old.