Lord & Taylor


Lord & Taylor moved to
Fifth Avenue and 39th Street in 1914,
and announced the opening
of its new store with a line drawing
of the new facility.
The brown brick and limestone building
reminiscent of an Italian palazzo
has remained a retail landmark
in New York to this day.
Though its home is stately
and traditional in design,
Lord & Taylor was also a pioneer
in the development
of suburban branches with
a chic, modern atmosphere.
Lord & Taylor's fashion illustrators
frequently sketched
the store for advertisements.
"The signature of American Style"


Lord & Taylor (1826)
424 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10018

WIsconsin 7-3300




Street Floor
Fine Jewelry • Jewelry • Watches • Leather Goods • Gloves • Handbags • Scarves • Hat Bar • Belts • Hosiery • Fantasia • Cosmetics • Stationery • Bar Accessories • Notions • Les Must de Cartier • Street Floor Sportswear • Street Floor Blouses • Street Floor Sweaters
The Man’s Shop Sweaters • Belts • Loungewear • Dress Shirts • Ties • Pajamas • Shirts • Accessories • Hosiery

Street Floor Balcony
Beauty Salon

Second Floor
Second Floor Sportswear • Second Floor Dresses • The Woman’s Shop • Career Shop • Town Shop • Spectator Dress Shop • Second Floor Evening Shop • Second Floor Coat Shop • Petite Collections • Butte Knit Collections • (Supermarket)

Third Floor
Sports Dresses • Designer Coats • The Salon • Evening Collections • 54 Shop • Calvin Klein Shop • Fur Salon • Bridal Shop • Importique • Designer Jeans • Contempora • (Glamour & Glitter)

Fourth Floor
Manhattan Shop • Negligees • The Tea House • Loungewear • Shape Shop • Lingerie • The Body Bar • At Home by Design • Career Shoes • Designer Shoe Collections • Etienne Aigner • Casual Shoes • (Scents of Christmas)

Fifth Floor
Sports Separates • Fifth Floor Blouse Shop • Sweaters • Designer Sportswear • North and South Shop • Sports Coats • Country Clothes Shop • Ralph Lauren Shop • Evan-Picone • Design V Shoes • Esprit • The Bird Cage Restaurant • (Country Christmas)

Sixth Floor
Young New Yorker Shoes • Dresses • Sportswear • Accessories • Intimate Apparel • Pizazz • Young New Yorker Hairworks • Intermission Restaurant

Seventh Floor
Young People’s Floor Boy’s Shop • Boys 4-7 Shop • Girl’s Shop • Girl’s 3-6X Shop • Flair • Toddlers’ Shop • Infants’ Shop • Layette • Children’s Accessories • Shoes • Toy Shop • Luggage Shop • (Teddy Bear Shop)

Eighth Floor
Furniture Galleries • Sleep Shop • Rug Bazaar • Far East Gallery • Lord & Taylor Design Studio • Lord & Taylor Gallery • Now & Then Shop

Ninth Floor
The Gift Shop • China • Silver • Glassware • Lamp Shop • Linens • Bath Shop • Household Bazaar • Americana Shop • The Closet Shop • (Christmas Bazaar)

Tenth Floor
The Man’s Shop
Sportswear • Clothing • Shoes & Hats • Robes & Loungewear • College-Alumni Shop • Designer Jeans • Luggage • The Soup Bar
(550,000 sq. ft.)




Street Floor
Fine Jewelry • Jewelry • Watches • Leather Goods • Gloves • Handbags • Scarves • Hat Bar • Belts • Hosiery • Cosmetics • Stationery • Notions • Les Must de Cartier • Street Floor Sportswear • Street Floor Blouses • Street Floor Sweaters
The Man’s Shop Sweaters • Belts • Loungewear • Dress Shirts • Ties • Pajamas • Shirts • Accessories • Hosiery • Robes & Loungewear

Mezzanine
The Man’s Shop Sportswear • Clothing • Shoes & Hats • College-Alumni Shop • Designer Jeans


Second Floor
Second Floor Sportswear • Second Floor Dresses • The Woman’s Shop • Career Shop • Town Shop • Spectator Dress Shop • Second Floor Evening Shop • Second Floor Coat Shop • Petite Collections • Butte Knit Collections  • Career Shoes • Designer Shoe Collections • Etienne Aigner • Casual Shoes


Third Floor
Sports Dresses • Designer Coats • Esprit • The Salon • Evening Collections • 54 Shop • Calvin Klein Shop • Fur Salon • Bridal Shop • Importique • Designer Jeans • Contempora • Manhattan Shop


Fourth Floor
Sports Separates • Fifth Floor Blouse Shop • Sweaters • Designer Sportswear • North and South Shop • Sports Coats • Country Clothes Shop • Ralph Lauren Shop


Fifth Floor
Young New Yorker Shoes • Dresses • Sportswear • Accessories • Intimate Apparel • Pizazz • Beauty Salon


Sixth Floor
Negligees • The Tea House • Loungewear • Shape Shop • Lingerie • The Body Bar • At Home by Design • Luggage
Young People’s Shop Boy’s Shop • Boys 4-7 Shop • Girl’s Shop • Girl’s 3-6X Shop • Flair • Toddlers’ Shop • Infants’ Shop • Layette • Children’s Accessories • Shoes • Toy Shop • Luggage Shop • (Teddy Bear Shop)

Seventh Floor
The Gift Shop • Bar Accessories • China • Silver • Glassware • Lamp Shop • Linens • Bath Shop • Household Bazaar • Americana Shop • The Closet Shop • Rug Bazaar • Far East Gallery • Now & Then Shop • (Christmas Bazaar)
(130,000 s.f.)





Manhasset
Miracle Mile
Northern Blvd. at Shelter Rock Rd.
May 27, 1941
56,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage
Scarsdale
750 White Plains Road
February 26, 1948
135,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage
Millburn, NJ
Millburn & Wyoming Avenues
February 9, 1949
82,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage
West Hartford, CT
Bishop's Corner
February, 1953
120,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage
Bala-Cynwyd, PA
City Line & Belmont Ave.
February 21, 1955
120,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage
Garden City
1200 Franklin Ave.
February, 1956
154,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage
Chevy Chase, DC
5255 Western Ave.
September, 1959
135,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage
Jenkintown, PA
332 Old York Road
April, 1964
150,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage
Falls Church, VA
at Seven Corners
October, 1965
155,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage
Ridgewood-Paramus, NJ
East Ridgewood Avenue
1967
155,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage
Boston, MA
Prudential Center
1968
125,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage
Stamford, CT
110 High Ridge Road
1969
155,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage
Atlanta, GA
Phipps Plaza
1969
121,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage
Oakbrook Center (1973)
Oak Brook, IL
102,000 s.f.
Woodfield Mall (1973)
Schaumburg, IL
124,000 s.f.
Water Tower Place
845 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL
140,000 s.f.
Hawthorn Center (1974)
Vernon Hills, IL
116,000 s.f.

Dallas, TX 
NorthPark
1974
135,000 s.f.

Houston, TX
The Galleria
October, 1974
135,000 s.f.

Fox Valley Mall 
Aurora, IL
1974
116,000 s.f.

White Flint, MD
1974
118,000 s.f.

Fairlane Town Center
Dearborn, MI
March, 1978
122,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage

Lakeside Mall
Sterling Heights, MI
March, 1978
122,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage

Twelve Oaks Mall
Novi, MI
March 1978
122,000 s.f.
The Bird Cage

South Shore Plaza
Braintree, MA
1978

Burlington Mall
Burlington MA
1978
118,000 s.f.

Greenspoint Mall
Houston, TX
1979








It would only be natural to refer to Lord & Taylor as a "legendary" department store, since it was founded as long ago as 1826, but its history reveals a number of fascinating "legends" that surround its inception so long ago. The first of these is the story of one Miss Ann Fernover, who noticed a new store at 47 Catharine (now Catherine) street in lower Manhattan. Entering the yet-unfinished premises, she unwittingly became the first customer of Lord & Taylor, when she bought a bolt of cloth from Samuel Lord, who put down his hammer and offered to wait on the lady. In 1926, when Lord & Taylor celebrated its centennial, it noted that Miss Allan H. Adriance, the great-granddaughter of its first customer, was among its current patrons.


Samuel Lord
(1803-1889)
















Samuel Lord (1803-1889 ) was born in Yorkshire, England and, after being orphaned by the age of 6, worked in the local foundry owned by a Mr. James Taylor. By 1824, Lord had married his boss's daughter Mary, and moved to the New World where, after sampling life in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, settled in New York by 1825.


Lord & Taylor (1832)
47-49 Catharine Street

















In 1826, he opened his dry-goods establishment on Catharine Street, and was soon joined by his wife's cousin George Washington Taylor ( -1838) who had been employed as a warden at New York's Bridewell prison. It is at this point in the Lord & Taylor story that the second of the aforementioned legends comes into play. While Taylor worked at Bridewell, there was a sensational theft of the crown jewels of the Netherlands. A prisoner confided in Taylor the name of the culprit, and the fact that the thief was on a ship heading from the continent to New York.

Armed with this knowledge, Taylor duly met the ship, arrested the criminal, and recovered the jewels. For his part, Taylor was rewarded a tidy sum, and it was this money that financed the Lord & Taylor store.

If the legend is true, then it's true that the money was well-spent. Lord & Taylor began with a reputation for selling only merchandise of the very highest quality, and the partners soon found that their shop was unable to handle the crowds of "carriage trade" patrons that wished to do business there. So, in 1832, the partners acquired the building next door at 49 Catharine Street, and within 6 years they had moved to even bigger quarters across the street at 61-63 Catharine. These initial moves were the first steps in a story of growth and expansion, following customers as they moved northward on Manhattan Island.


Lord & Taylor (1853-1902)
Grand & Chrystie Streets















In 1838, George Washington Taylor passed away, and his son James took his place in the store's management. The younger Taylor remained with the store until 1852, when he retired and relocated to Manchester, England. The next year, Lord & Taylor opened a large new store at 251-253 Grand Street, on the corner of Chrystie street. This facility, which served Lord & Taylor until 1902, was notable not just for its size, but for the large central rotunda it possessed, and the expansive glass dome that surmounted it, showering the store's elegant interior with natural light.


Lord & Taylor (1860)
Grand & Broadway
















In 1860, a new, marble-clad store opened for Lord & Taylor at Grand & Broadway, but the year was most noted for Samuel Lord's retirement to Ashton-on-Mersey, Cheshire England after making his fortune in the United States. Upon his departure, Lord left the management of Lord & Taylor in the hands of his son, G.W.T. Lord.

The store's northward move continued in 1872, with the opening of a new flagship at 20th Street and Broadway, notable for its steam-powered elevator. The move was not an auspicious one though, in spite of the store's modern (for the day) cast-iron façade, for the panic of 1873 caused an alarming drop in business. That Lord & Taylor survived the economic calamity is shown by the fact that additions to the store in subsequent years allowed it to claim frontage on Fifth Avenue for the first time and grew the size of its premises to over 45,000 square feet. Much of the success of the last years of the 19th century was due to the able management of Edward P. Hatch, under whose leadership the firm was incorporated in 1904.


Lord & Taylor (1872)
Broadway & 20th Street
















Upon Hatch's death in 1909, T. H. Emery, who guided the store's wholesale business, was elected president. Emery appointed Hatch's grandson, Wilson Hatch Tucker, as director of the retail division. During this time, a controlling interest in Lord & Taylor was acquired by the United Dry Goods, a retail-store subsidiary of the H. B. Claflin wholesale company.

A move to a new, 550,000 square foot edifice at Fifth Avenue and Thirty-Eighth Street, designed by well-respected architects Starrett and Van Vleck, occurred in 1914. The ten-story Italian Renaissance revival-style building, widely accepted as one of the most beautiful retail facilities in the United States, was clad in taupe-toned masonry with limestone trim, and featured a signature chamfer at the southeast corner of the store, expanding the vista down Thirty-Eighth Street from Fifth Avenue. The building contained many innovations, such as display windows that lowered themselves into the basement to be redecorated, a truck ramp to eliminate street-side deliveries, and a top floor roof garden for the benefit of employees. The beautiful street floor was clad in travertine and featured a ceiling of vaults supported on shallow jack arches that spanned from column to column,


The opening of
Lord & Taylor
1914

















As in 1872, though, the timing of the move and the investment required to accomplish it was far from ideal. The wholesale business of the H.B. Claflin company collapsed in 1914, leaving United Dry Goods and its subsidiaries in trouble. The solution to the problem was a brilliant one, and served to set Lord & Taylor on the path to even greater success than it had seen in its 88 previous years. Twenty-four New York banks assembled a credit package of 6 million dollars, and appointed Samuel Reyburn (1873-1972) as treasurer in order to represent their interests. Arkansas native Reyburn went on to become president of Lord & Taylor and then Associated Dry Goods (the successor to the failure of Untied Dry Goods in the 1914 Claflin debacle) as well, until his retirement in 1943. Under Reyburn, Lord & Taylor repaid its debts, shed its wholesale division, and took its place as one of New York's top fashion retailers.

Reyburn was succeeded in 1936 at Lord & Taylor by Walter Hoving, another great name in American retailing. It was the hiring of Dorothy Shaver, however, in 1924 that foreshadowed the store's leap from a well-respected New York department store to a fashion arbiter of the highest authority, bathed in international renown. Another Arkansas native, Miss Shaver came to New York with her artist sister Elsie, who dabbled with painting whimsical faces on Raggedy Anne dolls. These so delighted their friends, that they began selling them for income, with Dorothy acting as sales manager. When calling on Lord & Taylor in 1924, the management took a distinct liking to the 28 year-old Shaver's creative methods and unfailing sense of style.


Dorothy Shaver
(1894-1959)







The rest was nothing if not legendary as well. In 1931 she was elected vice-president, and was promoted to first vice president  in 1937. When Walter Hoving resigned to explore other opportunities in 1945, Dorothy Shaver was appointed president, and in accepting the offer became the first woman to head such a large department store. Before taking the helm, she became a pioneer in encouraging American development in fashion design, which became a hallmark of Lord & Taylor, so much so that the store adopted the slogan "The Signature of American Style." To promote American talent in the fashion industry, she instituted the Lord & Taylor Awards for creative achievement in fashion, but her contribution to Lord & Taylor was much more than that. She is recognized as having developed the shop-within-a-store concept, instituting a "54 Shop" for women under 5'-4" in height, and other shops such as the store's legendary "Fantasia Shop" many other specialty shops under the Lord & Taylor roof that became a hallmark of the store. 

Fantasia Shop in
West Hartford Store
It is no wonder that Dorothy Shaver was literally heaped with awards and honors, citing her for her "distinguished leadership in taste and fashion, commerce and philanthropy." Under her leadership, Lord & Taylor opened six beautiful outlying stores that featured beautiful and creative interiors that fulfilled her desire to promote the department store as "a beautiful place to shop. 

It was under her leadership that Lord & Taylor developed its unique and beautiful "signature" logo that survived in many forms until the present day, which not only gave identity to the firm's far-flung collection of store buildings, but was also uniquely woven into Lord & Taylor's one-of-a-kind advertising style. The Iconic "Bird Cage" restaurant concept dates from this era as well, debuting on Manhattan in 1938

Sadly, because she died (of a stroke) at the young age of sixty-six, she did not live to see the last of the stores she planned, in Chevy Chase, Maryland, which opened in 1959.  Yet, the leadership she gave the store carried it through the 1960s and 1970s, as it followed a pattern of expansion into areas that its parent company, Associated Dry Goods did not serve, notably Chicago Detroit, and Texas. In 1976, the somewhat staid Fifth Avenue underwent a stylish renovation that augmented its marble-clad interior with beveled mirrors and potted palms.

As the department store industry consolidated and declined in the 1980s and 1990s, Associated Dry Goods was snapped up by the much less exclusive May Department Stores, and Lord & Taylor struggled for identity as its stores became much more like the May Company standards in Los Angeles, Denver, Cleveland and St. Louis. When May was swallowed whole by Federated Department stores, it was not possible to convert many of the former Lord & Taylor stores to the Macy nameplate, so the giant organization put the mark up for sale, after closing many of the stores opened in previous years.

As a result of the sale to NRDC equity partners in 2006, Lord & Taylor remained a unique independent store in a landscape of retreating and consolidating retail nameplates, and is perhaps unique in carrying on a history begun as long ago as 1826.



69 comments:

  1. In addition to the Lord and Taylor in NorthPark Center in Dallas there were a couple of other locations in that market. One was in Prestonwood Town Center. Once this mall was on a decline and finally closed the Lord and Taylor and the Neiman Marcus stayed open for a few years basically freestanding. Then when plans to open a new mall a few miles north in Plano both of those stores relocated to that mall...The Shops at Willowbend. This mall opened at a very bad time around 9/11 and has not been that successful since. The Lord and Taylor in this mall was a new rollout of stores for them and was a beautiful store. Sadly it closed just after a very short period of time and the building has now been torn down to build a new Crate and Barrel. This mall is on a bit of an incline at this point. As well, there was a Lord and Taylor in Collin Creek Mall in Plano, TX which later turned into a Mervyns and now an entertainment type place. Also, in Houston, TX there was a L&T at Memorial City Mall which has now been torn down.

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  2. Lord and Taylor has locations at garden state plaza in paramus nj and palisades center mall in west nyack n.y.

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  3. Lord and Taylor has not only had a miraculous turn around but has become a beacon for many a retailers of what can happen when there is commitment and merchants running a chain. My favorite store has gotten better. The truest gem of all retailers out there to date.

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  4. Is this any relation to Taylor-May Co.? I remember a Taylor's in Southgate Shopping Center in Maple Heights, Ohio (suburb of Cleveland) in the late 50's/early 60's, with a huge, lighted, cursive "Taylor's" sign. It was a great store! Lamented and long-gone.

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  5. The store is not related; Taylor's of Cleveland was absorbed by the May Company, which assumed their Southgate location. Other store(s)were closed.

    BAK

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  6. Lord & Taylor in Manhasset (the first suburban Dept store) was rather run down by teh 1970's BUT still had great goods and the best service (every sales person had a book and a register was not used). The best sales people were Mr. Campo and Lee Mr. Leonard (I believe) was the store manager.....I knew the store was ruined when May took over and you couldn;t get a gift box with the rose on the men;s level (but Mr. Leonard to the rescue).

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  7. The Lord & Taylor in West Hartford (Bishop's Corner) was closed years ago and the operation was moved to the West Farms Mall.

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  8. since May was taken over by Macy's and then sold the Lord & Taylor devision, ... L & T has begun a come back...they have been doing a great job of upgrading themselves. They just recently remodeled the 5th avenue store and re-opened their home store. It is all upgraded and modern..with a concept design. They sell the top names in domestic products (read sheets and towels - almost all either CK or RL). They have also just annnounced a major expansion of their original suburban store (and still one of their most profitable stores) in Manhasset. The addition will house more fashion plus the home store. Its it good to see this...if only they would return to the days of fine service. Some stores even have a Sarah Beth's Restaurant! Now if they would only bring back the solid rose gift box!

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  9. Sarah Beth's may not be the best addition to L&T. It is overpriced, the service is rather rude, and the food is only so-so. Why they need two in the NYC store is a mystery. The original restaurant (Bird Cage I believe) was always a good quick meal. It was replaced with American Cafe (or something like that). Department store food is not always that special.

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  10. All of my family's Christmas ornaments are kept in Lord and Taylor red rose boxes (real boxes). They have lasted for years!

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  11. Lord & Taylor is making a come back.. it gets better every day. It will never have the service of the past, but it has upgraded its quality in the kast few years, soon it will be up to the quality standards of the past.

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  12. Do not forget the suburban Lord & Taylor stores currently at Walt Whitman Mall in South Huntington, and the store at South Shore Mall in Bay Shore, both on Long Island, NY. L&T has now been taken-over by the American businessman who bought The Bay in Canada, and sadly is not nearly as good a store as it was back in the mid 2000's. However, it remains my favorite department store. Lord & Taylor plans to open stores in Canada!

    JMF

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  13. There are Lord & Taylor stores at Walt Whitman Mall in South Huntington and at South Shore Mall in Bay Shore, both on Long Island, NY. It is my favorite store, but is not nearly as good as it last was in 2005 and before. L&T is currently owned by an American businessman who took-over The Bay in Canada, and plan to open stores up there.

    JMF

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  14. when will the L&T in Manhasset, NY finish its expansion and renovation? Aren't they adding a Home Store? Any details??

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  15. I was in the flagship NYC store last week. I purchased a baby gift..asked for a box and was given a box too small. I asked for a larger box and you would have thought I was robbing the store.
    No service, stupidity, and where are those beatiful red rose boxes. What a shame, I think they have lost a customer.

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  16. so...what's the dealio with new orleans,what happened to the super dome location?

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  17. The two-level Lord & Taylor opened at Westfarms in 1982 apart of an expanded wing. I believe they haven't changed a thing in that atrium (mirrored polls, stone planters out front mall entrance). The scheme to move into the glorious Westfarms was an obvious move from the 50's Bishop Corner location. Other later locations include Danbury Fair (late 80s) and Trumbull Shopping Park (now Westfield Trumbull).

    Westfarms picture in 2007: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10073060@N00/607936820/

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  18. The New Orleans Centre L&T closed about the time I started high school in the mid 90s and eventually became a health clinic. The rest of the mall closed after Katrina, with the Macy's moving to Lakeview. The NOC facade and parking lot were torn down and were rebuilt as Champions Square, with Dominion Tower, the building it was located in, now renamed "Benson Tower." I know, gag me...

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  19. I have a vintage red rose box, it's small is it worth anything.

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  20. What was Lord and Taylor back in the 50s and 60s comparable to? Nordstrom? Bloomingdale's? What could be done to bring that atmosphere back? Reintroduce Chanel, Balenciaga, and other exotic brands they used to carry? Something different. Expand and renovate stores and add restaurants?

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  21. Lord & Taylor had terrific advertising in the 1970's (my decade of interest in fashion advertising history). Most of the ads I have in my collection are from L&T; they were so beautifully drawn and understated. Simplistic yet elegant.

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  22. I worked in the charge/cash office and as a plug-board telephone operator at the Scarsdale L&T in the 80's. I was there when they changed from sale pads to cash registers, when they replaced the old plug switchboard with a state-of-the-art (at the time) new one, and when the Bird Cage became the American Cafe after a store-wide renovation. It was a fun part time job in my 20's, and I met some life-long friends and my husband there too, so I've got good memories.

    Also, there is a L&T in Lawrenceville NJ, at the Quakerbridge Mall that I don't see listed here.

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  23. Also, L&T changed the boxes when I was there as well, from the sturdy beautiful rose boxes to flimsy ones that we had to give to the customers flat so they could fold it into a box themselves. Those rose boxes were like gold - we were always told to never give out more than was needed, and people always asked for extras. Customers had a FIT over the new boxes at the time. Needless to say it didn't go over well!

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  24. What to make of the current L&T on Fifth Avenue, NYC? Give it A+ for effort.. their remodel is GREAT! Their fine jewelry has it's own enterance and nice ambiance. Atlas, the merchandise.... compariable to Macy's... enough said?
    Again, the remodel is GREAT @ Fifth Avenue NYC. Unfortunately the merchandise fails to impress for Fifth Avenue. Can't say about service as I left without making a purchase. L&T you are improved but a ways to go. Good Luck!

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  25. I have beautiful vintage clothing from Lord & Taylor do they take it back at any time for exhibit in their museum.

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  26. Was there ever a designer named:
    Russel Taylor. I have a beautiful vintage coat with that label on it.

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  27. The downtown, freestanding Lord & Taylor store in Westfield, NJ (built for Hahne & Company in 1963) is great.

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  28. When I was younger, I remember shopping at the Lord & Taylor in Jenkintown, PA and Bala Cynwyd PA. The Jenkintown branch closed as soon as L & T was taken over by The May Co. For a few years, I think that it as operated as a L & T clearance center. The Bala Cynwyd location remains open today - - - but the last time that I was there, about one half of the store was closed off, and it appeared as the store going through some sort of construction. The size of the store appeared much smaller that it used to be. Anyone been there lately?

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  29. During the late 1990's, a Lord & Taylor store was opened in downtown Pittsburgh. It was a beautiful store - - but the merchandise was exactly the same as that of next door neighbor Kaufmann's - - another division also owned by The May Company. I remember Lord & Taylor had very little bridge to better fashions at this location, making this store feel like another branch of Kaufmann's. It closed after just a few years. I visited Lord & Taylor just a few months ago in King of Prussia and was absolutely stunned by the change. It seemed like a completely different store. The upgraded merchandise and visual presentation made it look and fee like I was in Nordstrom. The dowdy atmosphere was gone - all I can say is that this change is a positive one. For any L & T employees reading this, WAY TO GO. You have completely turned this franchise around.

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  30. Just to add a note about the Westfield store, this always busy and prosperous location was the savior of Hahne & Company in the 1970's.
    This location carried Hahne's during some difficult years when their mall locations had not yet developed a following and the loss of revenue at downtown Newark continued to mount. The ADG Annual Report of 1978 spotlighted this location as not only important to Hahne's, but to ADG as well.

    Ken

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  31. My mom keeps her decoupage art supplies in these old red rose boxes....still in great condition. She also has some red foil boxes that pre-date the rose box....they are holding up 60 years later! Nothing like those boxes exit today.

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  32. HI! Looking for information about antique furniture that was sold at Lord & Taylor. Can't find anthing on the internet!

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  33. When I was in high school and college, I'd always shop at the Lord & Taylor in Jenkintown. It was such an elegant store, very modern with an open design plan. They had a furniture department on the second floor near the Bird Cage Restaurant. I still have an Italian gold mirror that my family bought in the 70's. Their furniture department did not have the selection of other stores but they had very high quality items. Those 'rose' boxes as well as the brown boxes they used for men's clothing still hold Christmas ornaments and other items 40 years later! It's a shame they went through that truly awful period with that terrible May Co. I remember shopping a few days before Christmas at the Bala Cynwyd store in the late 80s and they were already taking down Christmas decorations.

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  34. Lloyd and Taylor was the only clothing store i shopped at in Houston, when the store closed i was devastated, and in tears, it was a while before i shopped agin, but still there is no store like L&T. I wish they would come back.

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  35. My Mom kept all her Lord and Taylor Shopping bags and we just put them on ebay. They are truly a work of art.

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  36. The Lord & Taylor store in Stamford, CT has been recently listed on the Connecticut State Register of Historic Places for its Modernistic architecture. It was designed by Andrew Geller, in 1969. By doing this, it has slowed the process of demolition to erect a shopping mall on the site! This building is beautiful ! Thank God for small miracles.

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  37. I miss the Lord & Taylor at the Water Tower Place on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

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  38. There are several new Lord&Taylor stores that have been built within the past five years. One of the funkiest is Ridge Hill L&T in Yonkers, NY, designed by architect Giorgio Borruso, who's done stores all over the world. This is more of "boutique" style L&T that caters to a younger crowd. Here's a photo of the front:
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CRoyNqbKjL8/Uiu7sLhntsI/AAAAAAAAKcw/avEjlnlw94s/s1600/Picture+20.png

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  39. We had a Lord & Taylor in a mall called Crossgates in the Albany / Colonie area of New York. Crossgates was one of the giant suburban malls that destroyed the downtown area and I believe Lord & Taylor was one of the anchor stores. I loved that store and was thrilled when I got my very own L&T credit card (charge-a-plate!). I believe this was some time in the early 1980's and I recall buying a shirt that cost $65 which was a TON of money back then! But you know what? I still have that shirt and every time I wear it, I still get complements! I have fond memories of that store, the sales people knew you by name and the service was superior. I was very sad when they closed.

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  40. L&T opened many new stores under May management. I recall one very shortlived location in Memphis (89/90). They made the mistake of going into markets where the name was not well known and often the upscale shopping base was rather small.Some of these were locations that were made redundant or otherwise targeted for closing after the merger with ADG. May had been buying upper middle brow stores since the 60s (with prior, initially more secret acquisitions like Wm Taylor Sons in Cleveland and Daniels & Fisher in Denver), and gradually moved their own stores more upscale, but they had no idea how to run L&T.

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  41. trying to find more information on a emerald green felt hat with a yellow'ish golden ribbon around the hat as its for my college assignment any information would be helpful.

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  42. Why don't you search NY Times on ProQuest Historical Newspapers (at a library) for Lord & Taylor ads of the era.
    -Bruce

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  43. Fantastic Store with a great history. I hope Lord + Taylor is around forever. You can still buy nicely designed quality clothing - unlike Macy's which has basically bought up all of the competition and lowered the quality of the merchandise. But I recently saw the new Logo and almost fell off my chair. What an unprofessional choice of typography. Very basic and badly designed. The new Lord and Taylor Logo is a major disappointment. It's also kind of ugly. Sorry

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  44. I agree, it is really jolting my ugly and looks befitting to a discount store. The old logo, that has a history behind it, said "class" and "style;" the new one is common and cheap-looking.

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  45. L&T in Manhasset, NY (Long Island) is currently under a two year major expansion and renovation. Projected completion 2018. The store is open during this exciting time.

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  46. I helped open the Lord and Taylor at the Ft Lauderdale Galleria in 1983. So beautiful and elegant! We had a pre opening charity gala thecweek befoe and we all wore tuxes and gowns. A different world and store then. Our store manger was Joan Crawford. A great lady!!!!

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    Replies
    1. I was the Branch Security Manager for the new store in Coral Springs and worked for Miss Crawford. Same theme on the opening with Joseph Brooks showing up for the gala and fashion show. First class way to do things. Tuxes and gowns for staff that night.

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  47. Is there a Lord & Taylor Archive that might have records about past employees? I have an aunt who worked as a global footwear buyer for L&T from the late 40s to the 1990s. She died recently and I was hoping to inform someone who may have worked with her.

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  48. I recently was home in NJ and went to the Ridgewood/Paramus store, my childhood through my 20s store. What a disaster. What was once a stately and beautiful piece of architecture, which was beautifully renovated by ADG around 1985 (when I was a buyer for them) clearly was renovated again under May Company---and you can tell. I walked into the store on the second floor and cried...I cried even more as I explored the other floors. While I can blame Hudson Bay for some of the unattractiveness of this once elegant location, it is ALL May Company in design and layout....from those horrible salmon color faux marble floors, to the the cookie cutter layout of placement of departments and even restrooms. I was about ready to barf...I left very abruptly. I live in DC where L&T is numerous. The older stores, especially Chevy Chase, have the old ADG layout and while a bit dated, I will take that over anything May Company did to those stores, especially in the early to mid 90s renovations. It was just a sad and jolting moment to walk into the Paramus store...especially how I remember its once elegance in my younger days.

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  49. Well, you are correct in your observations, and I think they are doing a good job of destroying any class that store once had. The ugly logo and ugly interiors match some dodgy customer service and lousy selections. I don't really bother anymore . . .

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  50. HBC will sell the Lord and Taylor building on 5th Ave. Under the plans, the store will be reduced to 150,000 sq feet:
    https://www.retaildive.com/news/hudsons-bay-to-sell-lord-taylor-fifth-avenue-store/508006/

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  51. Hi, I"m a graduate student at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. I am working on my thesis. If anyone knows of a designer/dressmaker/seamstress who worked in Lord & Taylor's and would like to be interviewed, please contact me at tbattaglio@comcast.net Thank you!

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  52. A few comments:
    The “New” logo is inspired by a logo which was used in the 40s I believe. That logo was slightly better, and contained hints of the flourishes that were used later in the iconic logo. I don’t know why they didn’t just use the exact one from the 40s.
    In the past four years the chain has upgraded the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 9th, and 10th floors. Shame it is unlikely they will retain any of those floors except 2 and possibly 3 in a year.
    How did the Michigan stores contain the Birdcage? Does anyone know where it would have been located? Those stores are not very big, although Lakeside was expanded under Jane Elfers.
    Lord & Taylor’s merchandise strategy recently has been to add many high-end designers into some locations and to turn other locations into very mid-tier locations with little to know slightly upscale brands. They are also closing the Annapolis and Old Orchard stores in 2018. In 2019 they hope to open at the Meadowlands American Dream. This is our favorite store, we are sad that it has been moving downscale in some ways, but with some locations and some individuals there remains good service if you are lucky enough to find it.

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  53. Clbks.com Classicbooks has purchased the entire library of Joseph Brooks, Lords & Taylor memoir Books
    They contain photos and signatures of many world famous designers, actors and writers.
    They're will be sold on eBay under seller name classicbooks. Currently selling Lillian Hellman album.

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  54. http://bbfcsale.homestead.com/LillianHellman/101_1862.JPG

    Link to lord and Taylor's album.

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  55. Interesting article in today's Gothamist about L&T Flagship store in NYC.

    http://gothamist.com/2018/06/06/lord_taylor_flaghip_1919.php#photo-1

    Sad that the building was sold and that the store will not continue in the smaller format as it had previously planned. But look at what it was like in 1919!

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  56. The fifth Avenue store is closing outright:
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/06/05/hudsons-bay-lord-taylor-stores-nyc-fifth-avenue/672197002/

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  57. HBC destroyed a great iconic American department store. Closing a profitable flagship store and concentrating your business online and with Wal Mart makes no sense at all. What was the CEO thinking? In a couple of years the whole chain will be defunct. Another American icon gone.

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  58. working for lord & taylor it was a great experience I worked at the Aventura store our store manager was rita rosebloom after the store was expanded she got transfers to ny then we got Kathie she came from dadeland store then I got transfer to the Bufford mall store (Georgia)after a year got transfer to the beautiful store at the atlanta store(Phipps plaza) then may company decided to closed all the stores from Colorado,texas, new orleans,georgia and florida. had a fantastic time working for Lord & Taylor its so sad that the flagship store in Ny is gone. I can see now that in the future maybe in 10yrs lord & Taylor will be gone just as jw Robinsons its sooo sad

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  59. I opened up a number of NJ L&T's which were converted from Hahne's, an ADG chain. The first to open was the Bridgewater NJ store. It was interesting, and quite a few employees had worked for Hahne's. I began my retail career at Hahne's in Woodbridge, NJ which unfortunately was not to become an L&T. After Bridgewater i was offered a position in the Monmouth Mall, NJ. Had the best teacher in my Op's manager. She was from Hahnes also. There was a clash between the Hahne's alumni & the May Co. Very impersonal, and their choices of Store managers where challenging to say the least. I left retail within a few years...12 hour days were becoming old. Fast forward to 2020. I have heard & seen the neglect. Equippment for price changes still in use from L&T openings. Jaded emplyees, and the shady dealings of HBC's owner & the 'partnership' with LeTote. A lawsuit was filed in Superior Court (NY) this month alledging a "shell game," to which i agree. Lord & Taylor's rents are not being paid and the intent is to close all stores. Its a shame that a rich real estate equity firm boss buys a retailer and brought it down. Sad.

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  60. just heard the bad news about Lord & Taylor department stores i knew it since mayco took over it was just the beginning then macys hudson bay and le tote the last finest store is gone. i guess will be shopping at belks and amazon. fare well LORD & TAYLOR

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  61. We would like to thank all of the wonderful people who tried to keep the "Signature of American Style," alive during these last few years. September 9,2006 was a day that will live in history as we all know as department store supporters. It must be said that we were very thankful because Lord and Taylor was one of the only nameplates that was saved at that time during the May-Federated merger...even over Marshall Fields...another place that was more than a store ! One of the great traditions that did last right up until the pandemic came about this year was the wonderful celebration and camaraderie of guests,coworkers and management in the restaurants of the core remaining stores here in the New Jersey and New York area. While it is true that there were changes through the years in offerings and departments,the one thing that did not change was the good people that came together to make the best of what they had in each of the stores. Our hearts were made happy in so many of these great stores and we will miss them so very much. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone right now with special thanks and appreciation to BAK to creating this wonderful place. We are very appreciative.Thank you so much again !

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  62. Shame what happened to the store... was in the Eastchester location the other day as it is being liquidated. Walked in and walked out. Utterly depressing. Another great department store lost... joining the ranks of Barney's, B. Altman, etc.

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  63. My family members worked at the Bishops Corner store during its first decade in cosmetics,fashion modeling and at the Bird Cage restaurant. Legendary manager Dorothy Shaver was a guiding presence of quality. Great fashion designer's creations were modeled in shows. Customers included New Yorkers with weekend homes such as Margaret Hamilton, who as a customer commented to my mother in cosmetics that people considered herself ugly, but true beauty comes from within. Customers also included prominent individuals receiving exclusive treatment at the Institute of Living such as actors Gene Tierney and Bing Crosby. Vendors such as Estee Lauder accompanied by her sons conducted professional training for sales staff on Fifth Avenue in New York and provided generous holiday gifts.
    Thanks to employee shopping discounts, we enjoyed beautiful goods in our household : a few fine imported German handcrafted christmas ornaments and a rausch angel tree topper, an embroidered dirndl, wooden coin banks with detailed folk scene figures, and other fine imported goods which we treasured. The cosmeticians received samples of items in beautiful, imported crystal bottles and packaging. My mother's favorite parfum was Shalimar. She had a long,carpool work commute from our small hometown, but as a top salesperson with commissions, earned more than my father who worked in a local union manufacturing job.

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  64. Loved the Soup Bar at the top of L&T Fifth Avenue. The Scotch Broth Soup was excellent as was the experience.

    My best friend in college(mid to late 80s) lived in NJ and I visited often. We would take NJ Transit into Penn Station and head over to B. Altman and then L&T for a VERY economical, satisfying lunch of soup and half sandwich at the Soup Bar.

    Then, it was shopping shopping shopping all the way up 5th ... Saks, Rockefeller Center, champagne truffles at Teuscher Chocolates, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Bergdorf Goodman ... over to Barney's and Bloomingdale's before heading to Herald Square for Gimbles and last stop, Macy's, before heading home.

    It is sad that experiences like this are gone.
    Maybe the cycle will evolve into something new.

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  65. I recently found my mother's baby cape/ jacket when she was brought home from the hospital. Mom was born in 1933. Is there any Lord and Taylor person who would have any info? Shopping sure isn't like it used to be!

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  66. I miss Lord and Taylor. There were still a couple of them in Atlanta when I moved here. But they left. 😔

    Lord and Taylor had such nice things. Not excessive; just nice.

    I bought a hat there to wear to my father's funeral. I miss him. I miss the days when we cared enough to wear hats to events that mattered. I miss stores like Lord and Taylor where we could buy things worthy of those events. 😢 💔

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