During their heyday, there was nothing quite like a large department store. The adult equivalent of staring into a cookie jar—endless treats and possibilities on display, from practical necessities to frivolous but wonderfully tempting things. And there was something for every pocket, from inexpensive generalists to more upscale establishments. Almost invariably located on a main downtown street, a visit to one was a chance to be part of the activity and discover the new and unexpected.
With the arrival of the shopping mall, the era of the large department store began its long decline. Today, much of that experience has been replaced by choosing whatever you want from a phone, at your convenience. Most of the stores shown here are gone now, although a few such enterprises still survive in one form or another. Their days of prominence won’t be coming back, but the memories of that era remain. Take a look around at these postcards, and see which of those get awakened.
Our first stop, in the opening image, is Jordan Marsh in Miami, FL.
Steinbach Company, Asbury Park, NJ.
Rosenbaum, Pittsburgh, PA.
Bigelow’s, Jamestown, NY.
Gold’s, Lincoln, NE.
Wellan’s and J.C. Penney’s, Alexandria, LA.
J. J. Newberry Co., El Paso, TX.
Leonard’s, Fort Worth, TX.
Murphy’s, Fort Wayne, IN.
Woolworth’s, Phoenix, AZ.
Marshall Field’s, Chicago, IL.
F&R Lazarus, Columbus, OH.
Sears Roebuck & Co., Tampa, FL.
L. L. Stearns & Sons, Williamsport, PA.
Bullocks, Palm Springs, CA.
You’re breaking my heart with this. I traveled for years and made it a point to buy a pair of unique dress socks or neckwear at each city’s landmark department store. Most are now gone. Traveling solo and living out of a suitcase, my souvenirs were these packable purchases. My suits were tailored, but my beautiful ties always had a story. Field’s, Hudson’s, Strawbridge Clothiers, Gimbles, Bullocks, I Magnin, Neiman’s, each store was special and reflective of each city/region.
There were lots of malls, but malls weren’t historical, compared to Worth Ave, State Street, Market Street, and the original downtown locations. Let’s remember Carson, Pirie Scott’s famous Louis Sullivan designed anchor store on Chicago’s State Street!
Thanks for the posting!
Macy’s, San Francisco, sold their Men’s store in 2016 which was to the left of their flagship store. They then announced that the flagship store would be sold off (property value sky high now) in 2024 and Christmas 2025 would be their last. That has now changed and they say the flagship store will remain open. This is the newer looking Geary Street, Union Square side, while the original 1928 O’Farrell side is still intact
Love the Marshall Fields in Chicago, still trying to get my December reservation in the Walnut room!
Anyone else notice the beautiful 1954 Buick Skylark in the Sears/Tampa pic?
Yes I sure did and I think a 1958 Cadillac convertible as well. High balling unless these were used cars with a few years under their belt but still nice though.
Me too – one of only 836 for that year. I’ve only seen one on the street and outside of a museum here in car crazy SoCal.
Murphy’s, Fort Wayne, IN:
I’m going to stick my neck out and say it’s a Packard facing the camera next to the Old Crown Ale & Beer truck.
Yep, ’48-50 at this resolution.
And the lines for Fort Wayne Transit’s electric trolley buses. My great uncle worked in management for Fort Wayne Transit for decades. That Murphy’s store was central to my childhood. I can still smell the warm peanuts from the machine. The birds chirping in cages. I bought all my 45 rpm records there as a teenager. They really had everything.
“Pittsburgh PA”. That “h” is missing from the identifying, infor re: “Rosenbaum’s”. t/y
I loved the article. I worked at Bullock’s Pasadena in the last 70’s until 1980. It’s now a Macy’s,but all the architectural features remain. There’s still excellent service and attitudes of customer service that remains. It’s not your usual Macy’s. It was built in 1947, I believe,and is an architectural masterpiece. i.magnins was next door. Malls have been around since 1950,on of the first was May.Co in Lakewood Cali. It’s still there ,but has been expanded from what it was. Lakewood was built around it. Great article. Many small town ” downtowns” were killed by malls,and the Pandemic killed everything along with the Internet. Dad.
Thank you for these wonderful images of my childhood .
I was wondering what the white rag top was .
The Tampa SEARS is the fanciest one I’ve ever seen .
-Nate
My late grandmother had a postcard for that very Florida Jordan Marsh! Boston Based Jordan Marsh tried to cash in on Snowbirds, a new Post War phenomena thanks to the road improvements ! My grandmother snowbird-ed in the early days! Jordan Marsh and Filene’s were Boston’s best! Filene’s had the very best clothing and Jordan Marsh was a Christmas institution featuring legendary rolls offered for the Holiday!
That was Bullock’s Wilshire in Palm Springs, not a regular Bullock’s. The building was demolished.
Steinbach’s located on Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park, N. J. stayed in business at this location until 1979. They moved to the Seaview Square Mall in nearby Ocean Township and are no longer in business. The building where Steinbach’s was originally located remained vacant for 10 years and gutted by fire and the building was then razed.
Nice to see Gold’s in Lincoln featured, but arguably the Miller & Paine seen in the distance (and closer from the other side in my photo here) was better known and regarded, or perhaps just rivals of comparable stature, tho’ M&P outlasted Gold’s (and Omaha’s Brandeis, who bought them out) by a couple decades until Dillard’s bought them out.
Their bakery produced legendary cinnamon rolls, unusual for being small and tightly rolled, IIRC packed 8 into a large loaf pan, coming out with a caramelized bottom and sugar dusted top, still produced today by the Breda subsidiary of the Runza fast-food chain — itself another Nebraska legend serving its eponymous spiced meat’n’cabbage in a yeasted dough pocket sandwich of German from Russia culinary heritage.
Thank you for this article and photos. These gorgeous, huge buildings draw all of us in much more so than an automobile marque or model. All of us. Memories, good memories, flood in. Anticipation. Excitement. All around each corner. As a kid, my first job was a paper boy, delivering in the afternoon the evening edition. Sears and The Broadway stores were mine. For a kid of eleven to be parentless was a big deal, even though I was just delivering newspapers. Plus, I had the Chevy, the Ford and the Pontiac dealers to deliver to as well! First and best job, ever.
I feel sad about the disappearing names too. As a child a lot of my clothing came from B. Altman in White Plains, which was an interesting Mid Century building before it was demolished. Of the rest of my childhood retail landscape only Many’s and Bloomingdales survive. Lord & Taylor and Bonwit Teller had Mid Century Modern stores in the same strip in Eastchester, flanking an equally defunct Georg Jensen and FAO Schwarz. The same applies to Gimbels and A & S. I have a cast iron skillet from A & S that has outlasted the store it came from, and may outlast the mall that A&S anchored
Heck even out in Oregon Meier & Frank’s stores survive but the name was erased after they were bought by Macy’s