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| The World's Largest Store moved from 14th St. to Herald Square on November 9, 1902, into a richly- detailed Edwardian structure of brick and limestone. |
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| In 1924, Macy's expanded westward along 34th St. into a 19-story annex with 4 illumi- nated signs mounted on its roof. |
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| Macy's filled almost the entire block in 1931, and cemented its position as the world's largest store by building a massive addition on Seventh Avenue. Interestingly, the store was built above the first floor of an existing 16-story building which was partially demolished. Tenants, including a Horn & Hardart Automat, remained in business during the construction of the Art-deco tower. |
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| Macy's store was a familiar landmark and tourist attraction on Herald Square in New York, bustling with crowds and vehicular traffic. |
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| The tall Seventh Avenue building faced busy Pennsylvania Station. |
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| Macy's iconic street floor was made over in a warm and inviting art-deco style at the time of the Seventh Avenue addition with octagonal columns sheathed in marble. |
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| A view eastward along 34th St. illustrates not just the store's great bulk, but its proximity to the Empire State Building as well. |
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| "It's Smart to be Thrifty" |
Herald Square
New York, New York
LAckawanna 6-4100
Lower Level
Broadway Macy’s Fascinating Housewares (d.011) • Gadget Wall (d.011) • Bar Shop (d.011) • Closet Shop (d.066) • Laundry Shop (d.066) • Home Care Shop (d.066) • Hearth Shop • Outdoor Shop • Electrics Shop (d.159) • Carrier Cook Shop • Cookware (d.048) • Shelf Shop (d.151) • Hardware Shop (d.151) • Garden Shop (d.151) • Kitchen Furniture (d.116) • Bath Shop (d.120) • Home Lighting (d.259) • Paint Centre (d.160) • Kitchen Planning Centre • Appliances (d.180) • Vacuums (d.275) • Sewing Machines (d.142) • Dutch Treat Luncheonette
Street Floor
Broadway Fine Jewelry (d.079) • Diamond Center (d./189) • Silver Shop (d.005) • Watch Centre (d.478) • Costume Jewelry (d.009) • Cosmetic Boutiques (d.196) • Cosmetics (d.034/076) • Hosiery Centre (d.006) • Handbags (d.112) • Fine Handbag Shop (d.049) • Small Leather Goods (d.037) • Gloves (d.017) • Belts (d.054) • Hat Bar (d.018) • Scarves (d.054) • Blouses (d.080) • Sweaters (d.054) • The Rain Shop (d.040) • Notions (d.003) • Stationery (d.47) • Greeting Cards (d. 047) • Candies (d.016) • Look-in Shop (d.237) • See-in Shop • Drug Centre (d.042) • Pharmacy Centre (d.027) • Electric Razor Centre (s.211)
7th Ave Macy’s Men’s Store Ties (d.003) • Dress Shirts (d.058) • Fine Shirt Shop • Sport Shirts (d.008) • Men’s Knitshirts (d.107) • Pajamas (d.111) • Robes (d.144) • Men’s Accessories (d.069) • Men’s Gifts (d.212) • Smoke Shop (d.036) • Knitwear (d.086) • Men’s Fragrances • Men’s Active Sportswear (d.438 • Men’s Hosiery (d.106) • Macy’s Meat Department • Macy’s Bakery (d.033)
459 7th Avenue at 34th St. Macy’s Fine Wine and Liquor Store • Connoisseur Corner
Balcony
Macy’s Jewelry Brokerage • Macy’s Shopping Service • Electric Shaving Center (d.211) • Business Machines (d.218) • Repair Center • Post Office
Second Floor
Broadway Bras and Girdles (d.126) • Lingerie (d.155) • Daywear (d.007) • Sleep Shop (d.057/062) • Robes (d.064) • Loungewear (d.122) • At Ease (d.153) • The Little Shop of Lingerie • The Little Shop of Accessories • Westsider Sportswear (d.168) • Westsider Dresses (d.053) • Westsider Coats (d.158) • Fur Salon (d.087) • Uniform Centre • Gift Wrap Centre
7th Ave. Macy’s Men’s Store Men’s Formal Wear (d.110) • The Varsity Shop (d.010) • Club Row (d.010) • Men’s Clothing (d.195) • Westgate Shop • Men’s Outerwear (d.113) • Men’s Rainwear (d.102) • Suede and Leather Shop (d.268) • Men’s Shoe Store (d.046) • Hats (d.039) • The Action Shop (d.181) • Tiger Shop
Third Floor
Broadway The Little Shop (d.170) • Young Collectors (d.085) • Expressions (d. 165) • Career Dress Shops (d.134) • The Town Shop (d.138) • Town Shop Suits (d.139) • The Clubhouse (d.176) • After 5 Shop (d.157) • Miss Macy Shop (d.185) • Pants and Partners (d.109) • The Blouse and Shirt Shop (d.063) • Spectator Sportswear Shop (d.094) • Macy’s-by-the-Sea (d.109) • Misses’ Sportswear (d.085) • The South Shop (d.172) • Better Coats (d.055) • The Pants Coat Shop (d.284) • The Raincoat Shop (d.169) • The Great Pretenders • Bridal Salon • Maternity Shop (d.136)
7th Ave. The Scene Junior Sportswear (d.121) • Junior Dresses (d. 115) • The Coatery (d.119) • The Wet ‘n’ Dry Shop • “Suits-Me” • Young Couture (d.245) • The Other Junior (d.215) • The Way-In Shop (d.245) • Under Covers Shop (d.237) • “The End” • Something Else Shop
Fourth Floor
Broadway Fourth Floor for Young People Infants’ Wear (d.065) •Nursery Furniture (d.137) • Grandmere Shop • Toddlers’ Wear (d.061) • GIrls’ Sleepwear (d.043) • Little Sister Shop (d.051) • Girls’ Wear 7-14 (d. 037) • Little Man’s World (d.072) • Children’s Shoes (d.088) • Photo Studio
7th Ave. Charmed Circle Fashions for Young Juniors Young Junior Sportswear (d.214) • Young Junior Coats (d.042) • Young Junior Dresses (d.215 Women’s World Half-Size Coats (d.100) • Women’s Sportswear (d.118) • Women’s Dresses (d.078) • Soup’s On • Gift Wrap Centre
Fifth Floor
Broadway Luggage (d.097) • Camera Shop (d.096) • Stamp and Coin Shop • TV Centre (d.223,271) • Air Conditioning Centre • Custom Sound Centre (d.293) • Radios (d.123) • Music Centre (d.083) • Leisure World (d.038) • Ski Shop • Hunting World • Boy Scout Centre • Travel Service
7th Ave. Books (d.013) • Exhibit Center • Toy City (d.012) • Adult Game (d.147) • Art Supplies (d.141) • Hobby Shop (d.147) • Pet Centre (d.287) • Boys’ Centre (d.058)
Sixth Floor
Broadway Domestics Pavilion Table Linens (d.001) • Sheets (d.092) • Pillows (d.059) • Blankets (d.059) • Bedspreads (d.059) • Comforters (d.059) • Bath Shop (d.120) • Towels (d.091) • World’s Largest Fabric Center (d.014) • Little Shop of Fabrics (d.014) • Needlecraft Shop (d.014) • Trim-a-Tree Shop (d.140) • Gift Wrap Centre
7th Ave. The Shops of Shoes • Miss Manhattan Shop (d.264) • The Boulevard Shop (d.020) • The Town Shop (d.164) • The Comfort Shop (d.102) • Indoor-Outdoor Shop (d.052) • The Little Shop of Shoes (d.093) • Vivo Bar • Murray Space Shoe Repair Shop
Seventh Floor
Broadway Home Furnishing Accessories (d.129) • Pillows (d.191) • Readymade Draperies (d.126) • Curtains (d.126) • Bedspreads (d.127) • Custom-Made Slipcovers, Draperies and Upholstery (d.128) • Wallpaper • Summer Furniture (d.157)
7th Ave. Lamps (d.067) • Rugs (d.082) • Broadloom (d.048) • Imported Rugs (d.090) • Floor Care (d.275) • Home Cleaning and Repair Service
Eighth Floor
Broadway Fine Crystal (d.117) • Glassware (d.117) • Bar Shop (d.117) • China (D. 015) • International Gift Bazaar (d.114) • Far Eastern Shop • Candle Shop • Flower Mart • Clocks (d.449) • Decorative Accessories (d.225) • Pictures & Mirrors (d.249) • Wedding Gift Registry • Gift Wrap Centre
7th Ave. The Patio Restaurant • Macy’s Fancy Pantry for Fine Foods (d.033)
Ninth Floor
Broadway Ninth Floor of Furniture Corner Shop • Corner Shop Art Gallery • 9th Floor Pavilions • Upholstered Furniture (d.415) • Occasional Furniture (d.417) • Traditional Furniture (d.421) • Dining Room Furniture (d.413) • Ethan Allen Galleries (d.462)
7th Ave. Bedding (d.414) • Bedroom Furniture (d.411) • Young America Center (d.412) • Summer Colony (d.416) • Forward House (d.418) • Dual Sleep (d.419) • Recliners (d.420) • Piano and Organ Gallery (d.095) • Customer Service
Eleventh Floor
7th Ave. Optical Department • Hearing Aids • Beauty Salon • Credit Office • Cash Office • Fur Workroom
Fifteenth Floor
7th Ave. Macy's Home Food Service (d.261)
(2,319,000 s.f.)
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| Parkchester Bronx 1941/1963 200,000 s.f. |
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| Jamaica 165th St. and 89th Ave., Queens September 2,1947 158,000 s.f. Soda Bar |
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| White Plains Main St. at Mamaroneck Ave. March 21,1949 323.000 s.f. |
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| Flatbush Brooklyn November 1, 1948 141,000 s.f. |
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| Roosevelt Field Carle Place August 29,1956 461,000 s.f. |
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| Huntington Walt Whitman Mall September 18, 1962 230,000 s.f. |
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| Bay Shore South Shore Mall August, 1963 318,000 s.f. |
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| New Haven Chapel Square 1964 Carousel Restaurant |
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| Queens Rego Park October 11, 1965 327,000 s.f. |
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Colonie Center
Schenectady
March 24, 1966
180,000 sq. ft.
|
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| New Rochelle The Mall at New Rochelle September 14, 1967 220,000 s.f. |
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|
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| Kings Plaza Brooklyn September 11, 1970 328,000 s.f. |
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| Massapequa Sunrise Mall 1973 208,000 s.f. |
R.H. Macy &
Co. was founded in 1858 on Sixth
Street in New York City, when Rowland H. Macy began a dry goods concern at
thirty-six years of age. Reared on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, the
rough-and-tumble Macy, who eventually had a
red star tattooed on his hand, lived a checkered life marred by adventuresome schemes
and business failures. After spending the last four years of his teens serving
on a whaling ship in the Pacific Ocean, he returned to Massachusetts to work at
various positions in Boston dry goods stores of the day. Lack of success
prompted him to take off for California, which was in the throes of the gold rush. The
store he opened in Marysville, California, failed within months, causing Macy
to return east and settle in the small town of Haverhill, Massachusetts, where
he again tried his hand at dry goods retailing and again met with failure after
four years of hard work beset with misfortune.
After a stint as a stockbroker in Boston and
a spell in Superior, Wisconsin, Macy made the realization that his repeated
failures as a shopkeeper were due to the
fact that he was applying big-city retail methods in small-town markets. His
next stop was New York City, where his newest
venture was a tremendous success, eventually gobbling up adjacent properties
and growing into a full-line department store by 1870. Yet Macy only produced
one heir, Rowland Jr., who apparently did not inherit any of his father’s good
qualities and died in tragic circumstances in 1878, one year after his father
passed away on a buying trip to Paris.
Two of Macy’s managing partners (one of whom was his nephew) bought out Macy’s estate and
continued the business. A string of unfortunate circumstances, which read like a
Victorian soap opera, saw one partner succumb to disease and a third pass away, leaving a widow who then
married the company’s fourth partner, who
brought his nephew on to manage the store until the
partner was bought out in a battle between partners in 1887. In spite of
the internal drama, the store continued to expand and was modernized behind a
uniform façade. Even an early example of a department store tearoom was opened at the popular and growing
store.
During this period, when the remains of
Macy’s management was exhausted, to say the least, the store’s crockery
department was leased to Lazarus Straus & Sons. When the remaining partner,
Charles B. Webster, was ready to exit the retail business, brothers Isidor and
Nathan Straus bought the whole organization. Under Straus control, R.H. Macy
& Company went from strength to
strength, moving in 1902 to an elegant new building with ornate Palladian
details on Herald Square, where it remains today,
one of few American department stores to have done its
business in only two locations for a history spanning over a hundred years. The
Straus dynasty lasted for five generations at Macy’s, despite
Isidor’s untimely death on the Titanic in April 1912.
Macy’s added a floor to its beautiful premises
on Herald Square in 1910 and expanded westward from its Broadway storefront
toward Seventh Avenue with the addition of a twenty-story tower in 1924. When
art deco additions were added in 1928 and 1931, the building stretched all the
way to Seventh Avenue and could proclaim itself the
“World’s Largest Store,” with over 2.3
million square feet of space spread throughout its buildings.
Yet size alone has never been the only thing
that has made Macy’s a nationally renowned
retail name. Under its slogan “It’s Smart to be Thrifty,” it offered New
Yorkers the widest possible selection of high-quality goods at the best prices,
from designer apparel in its famous Little Shop to antiques in its Corner Shop
on the eighth floor. It sold a huge array of groceries and gourmet items in its
Fancy Grocery and became a part of wider American culture through its
Thanksgiving Day Parade, broadcast from coast to coast; its role in the popular
Christmas film Miracle on Thirty-fourth
Street; and a great variety of other events and promotions. Its annual flower show (note: it still holds them) transformed
the store into a botanical showcase of breathtaking beauty, and at the same
time, the store had the ability to turn
something as simple as an after-hours guard dog bearing a litter into a
celebrated window display that attracted huge crowds, not to mention the
business associated with them.
Macy’s had an in-house bureau of standards,
which assured that its merchandise was worthy, and a staff “taster,” who had
the last word on any foodstuffs sold in the store. Its advertising department
coined the phrase “Does Macy’s Tell Gimbels?” to promote Macy’s comparison-shopping
bureau, which worked to make sure it could honestly say that the store was
never undersold.
The large New York concern
went on a buying spree that took take it from coast to coast by 1949.
In 1925, Macy’s acquired the Davison-Paxon Company
of Atlanta, where it built a new flagship store. Architects for the building
were none other than Starrett and van Vleck, who designed a massive brick
structure with a high main floor, a bowed elevator bank and modern-leaning
Georgian stone detail that bears a stripped-down resemblance to their work in
Toledo for another subsidiary, the Lasalle & Koch Co., acquired in 1923.
L. Bamberger & Company of Newark was bought next, in 1929, and after World War
II, the O’Connor Moffat Company of San Francisco
and the William Taylor Dry Goods Company of
Kansas City became part of the Macy organization. These latter two were the
only stores whose names changed to Macy’s as the big New York concern grew. In
spite of its size, Macy’s let each of its divisions operate locally, and while
they were clearly subsidiaries of the great New York store, each developed its
own character and identity. Macy’s of California was always more chic and
fashionable than its New York parent, and Davison’s retained an air of Southern
charm. Bamberger’s own character was firmly rooted in its New Jersey home.
In most cases, these stores went on to
become regional powerhouses by acquisition of smaller retailers in the area.
Macy’s of Kansas City spread to Wichita, Kansas, and Joplin, Missouri, by
acquiring the George Innes Company and the
Christman Dry Goods Company, respectively.
In other cases, the stores built branches in smaller towns in the vicinity. For
the most part, each of these divisions eventually took on a regional character
while operating from a local headquarters.
In 1939, Macy*s produced a souvenir booklet for visitors to the store and the New York World's Fair. Click below to see the lavish, 66-page booklet in its entirety - and along the way, see what Macy's - The World's Largest Store - was really like.
Lower Level
Broadway The Cellar Housewares (d.160) • Home Care (d.066) • Instant Environments (d.116) • Electrics (d.159) • Electric Razor Center (d.211) • Cookery (d.131) • Dinnnerware and Glassware (d.480) • The Apothecary (d.042) • Stationery Shop (d.047) • Luggage (d.097) • Fabrics (d.141) • Country Craft Shop (d. 081) • Green Glass Gallery • The Marketplace (d.033) • Marketplace Candy (d.016) • P.J. Clarke's
Seventh Avenue Action Down Under (d.181/674) • Mini-Cafe "Down-Under" • Juice Bar
Street Floor
Broadway Fine Jewelry (d.079) • Diamonds (d.145) • Watches (d.478) • Costume Jewelry (d.009) • Cosmetics(d.196) • Fragrance Boutiques (d.076) • Hosiery (d.006) • Handbags (d.112) • Better Handbags (d.049) • Small Leather Goods (d.037) • Gloves (d.017) • Belts (d.054) • Knits (d.018) • Accessories (d.054) • Sunglasses (d.143) • Westsider Blouses (d.080) • Westsider Sweaters (d.054) • Rainwear (d.040) • Notions (d.003) • Stationery (d.047) • Greeting Cards (d.047)p • Vitamin-Health Center (d.042)
The Arcade Born to Dance Shop • The Craft Shop • Penny Candy Shop • I Love New York Shop • Yankee Club House • Tropical Paradise • Crabtree & Evelyn
7th Ave Macy’s Men’s Store Ties (d.003) • Dress Shirts (d.058) • Sport Shirts (d.008) • Men’s Sweaters (d.107) • Men's Underwear (d.105) • Pajamas (d.111) • Robes (d.144) • Men’s Accessories (d.069) • Men’s Belts (d.212) • Dunhill Shop (d.036) • Men's Gifts (d.069) • The Men's Club (d.671)• Men’s Sport Shirts (d.438) • Men’s Hosiery (d.106) • The Sports Section (d.277)
459 7th Avenue at 34th St. Macy’s Wine Cellar
34th St. Balcony
Environmental Scents • Cafe L'Etoile • Metropolitan Museum Shop • Laura Ashley • Post Office
35th St. Balcony
Neuhaus Choclatier & Espresso bar • Santini e Dominici Shoes • Norma Kamali • American Express
Second Floor
Broadway Shapewear (d.126) • Lingerie (d.155) • Daywear (d.007) • Sleepwear (d.057/062) • Robes (d.064) • Loungewear (d.122) • Private Lives (d.660) • Westsider Coordinates (d.162) • Westsider Sweaters (d.188) • Westsider Blouses (d.080) • Westsider Sportswear (d.168) • Westsider Dresses (d.053/234) • Maternity Shop (d.136) • Gift Wrap Centre
7th Ave. Macy’s Men’s Store Men’s Formal Wear (d.110) • Men's Suits (d.010) • Clubroom(d.010) • Men’s Clothing (d.195) • Design Collection (d.129) • Men’s Outerwear (d.113) • Men’s Rainwear (d.102) • Suede and Leather Shop (d.268) • Men’s Shoes (d.046) • Men's Hats (d.039)
Special Events Center
Third Floor
Broadway The Little Shops (d.170) • Fur Salon (d.035) • Bridal Salon • Little Shop of Accessories (d.176) • Charles Jourdan Shoes (d.257) • Young Collector (d.065/168/662/666) • Expressions Shop (d.165) • Misses Moderate Dresses (d.134/157) • Forecast Shop (d.150) • After 5 Shop (d.157) • Town Shop (d.138/139) • Town Shop Suits (d. 021) • The Clubhouse (d.176/177) • Signature Dresses (d.024) • Status Dressing (d.661) • Misses Separates (d.109) • Misses Moderate Blouses (d.063) • Misses Moderate Sportswear (d.094) • The Biggest Splash (d.172/293) • Misses’ Sportswear (d.085)
7th Ave. Young Collector Coats (d.055) • Signature Coats (d.160) • Misses Coats (d.158/284) • Suede and Leather Coats (d.174) • Rainwear (d.169) • Spectacular Spectacles (d.056)
Fourth Floor
Broadway JR's on Four JR's Accessories (d.002) • Junior Sportswear (d.121) • Junior Separates (d.217) • Junior Leather Coats (d.219) • Junior Dresses (d. 115) • Junior Coats (d.119) • Suedes & Leathers (d.174) • Perspective (d.245) • Folklorico (d. 147) • Young Juniors (d.214) • JR's Shoes(d.288)
Seventh Ave. Books at Macy's-The 34th St. Branch (d.013) • Records (d.083) • Adult Games (d.147) • Women’s World Women's Coats (d.o45) • Women’s Sportswear (d.118) • Women’s Dresses (d.078)
Fifth Floor
Broadway Growing Up on Five Infants (d.065) • Infants' Furniture (d.192) • Toddlers (d.061) • Girls’ Sleepwear (d.043) • Girls 3-6x (d.051) • Girls7-14 (d. 037) • Boys 4-7 (d.072) • Boys 8-20 (d.074/058) • Boys' Polo Shop (d.179) • Active Boys/Active Girls • Children’s Shoes (d.088) • Portrait Studio (d.224) • Best Friends Pet Centre (d.287) • The Fountain • Kenneth for Kids Hair Salon (d.210)
7th Ave. Macy's Department of Recreation (d.247/038) • Luggage (d.097) • Cameras (d.096) • Music and TV World (d.223) • Radios (d.123) • Stereos (d.110) • Televisions (d.227) • Parade of Toys (d.012) • Snoopy Shop • Fine Doll Collection
Sixth Floor
Broadway Linen Pavilion Linens (d.001) • Sheets (d.092) • Pillows (d.059) • Blankets (d.059) • Bedspreads (d.059) • Comforters (d.059) • Bath Shop (d.120) • Towels (d.091) • Private Lives (d.607)
7th Ave. Miss Manhattan Shoes (d.264) • The Little Shop of Shoes (d.093) • Shoes (d.020)
Seventh Floor
Broadway Home Furnishing Accessories (d.129) • Pillows (d.191) • Readymade Draperies (d.126) • Curtains (d.126) • Bedspreads (d.127) • Custom-Made Slipcovers, Draperies and Upholstery (d.128) • Summer Furniture (d.157) • Lamps (d.067) • Pictures & Mirrors (d.449)
7th Ave. Rugs (d.082) • Broadloom (d.048) • Imported Rugs (d.090) • Floor Care (d.275) • Appliances (d.180) • Home Cleaning and Repair Service
Eighth Floor
Broadway Silver (d.005) • Crystal (d.117) • Glass (d.017) • China (D. 015) • Gifts (d.114) • Diane Lane Silk Flowers • Decorative Accessories (d.225) • Bridal Registry • Gift Wrap Centre
7th Ave. The Patio Restaurant • Cooking Center • Passover Shop • Santaland • Macy Puppet Theater
Ninth Floor
Broadway Corner Shop (d.471) • Traditional Upholstered Furniture (d.415) • Occasional Furniture (d.417) • Traditional Furniture (d.421) • Dining Room Furniture (d.413)
7th Ave. Mattresses (d.414) • Bedroom Furniture (d.411/422) • Chairs (d.420) • Furniture Works(d.416) • Modern Occasional Furniture (d.461) • Contemporary Upholstered Furniture (d.418) • Sleep Sofas (d.419) • Recliners (d.465) • Pianos and Organs (d.095) • Customer Service
AWESOME WEB SITE! It's truly sad to realize that America's great department stores are gone and the culprit is macy*s! Although macy*s was a NEW YORK icon, the misguided decision to convert department stores across the nation has been a dismal failure. Every city had its hometown store, supplemented by national retailers like Sears and JC Penney. Since macy*s is everywhere, it's no longer anything special and offers no reason to shop there.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the compliment on the Museum. The best we can do now is to keep the memory of our great stores alive.
ReplyDeleteBruce
I have old silver plate iced tea spoons from the Dutch Treat Restaurant.
ReplyDeleteI am looking for information on a 1967 Macy's Mediterranean Festival which was an art exhibit and was paid for the Greek Handicraft Organization.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if it was held at the Macy's building or if it was hosted at one of Macy's subdivisions, but it did take place in New York.
I also have the original letter that Macy's of New York sent to my grandfather (one of the participating artists) and some old newspaper clippings. The dates set for this art show were for September 5 through September 25, 1967.
I've already contacted New York Times & the Post which were the most likely newspapers to cover it at that time, but I haven't found anything in their archives (yet).
I have a pretty good photocopy of the gentleman's signature on the letter (representing Macy's at the time), but it's not typed, only hand-signed so I can't really tell what his name is...
If you know of any archives or records that I can access online relating to art exhibits in NYC at any Macy's buildings, please let me know!
I am willing to pay for copies of articles!
Many thanks,
Chrysoula
kryskreations@yahoo.com
I am looking for a floor directory of Macy's Herald Square in the late 1970s and early 1980s for a project. Please try to assist my inquiry as best as you can. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteDear Michael:
ReplyDeleteI do not have a printed floor directory for Macy's. I gleaned the information shown in The Department Store Museum by pouring over old copies of The New York Times, recently and in the past. The directory published in on these pages is for the store in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the 1970s, before Macy's began to emulate Bloomingdale's merchandising at the 34th Street location, the store moved its housewares departments from their longstanding location in the basement, to the fifth floor, in order to open a budget store, Macy's first.
One must believe that this arrangement wasn't too successful, for just few years later, Macy's relocated the departments to the basement and "The Cellar" was born.
I do have some different department names and locations from the late 1970s - early 1980s which might help you, but you'd have to send me your e-mail address for me to get them to you. (That's a lot of typing . . .)
Good luck.
BAK
Do you remember a large model train layout displayed in a store across the street from Macy's - somewhat diagonal north east - the face of the store faced downtown with Sixth Avenue on the left and 7th Avenue on the right crossecting in front of the island on which this store was located. I believe it was on the second floor. This was in the Fifties. The names A.C. Gilbert or Fisher Scientific come to mind - either American Flyer or Marx trains were displayed in the layout.
ReplyDeleteJohn Stanton
Johnps30@yahoo.com
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI have a jug (crock) with the wording "R.H. Macy & Co. New York". Its stand est 15"H & is brown & creme in color. There is no date on the jug. The top of jug (below neck) is rounded. Any info on age, origin, & value would be appreciated. Also I love your website!
Thank you,
Becky Kramer
k1e2n3@aol.com
I have a directory of the Macy's flagship...from the late 2000s. Still interested? It might be interesting to see how many departments were killed!
ReplyDeleteI just added a "directory" for the store as it operated from the late '70s - early '80s. I would assume that consolidation, contraction, and the narrowing of products offered would be obvious when looking at your directory. I visited New York and Macy's in 2000 with a young relative from Poland. It was not the best experience; she wasn't too impressed and was frightened by the crowds at the store.
ReplyDeleteBAK
I hate Macys for taking away so many of our other favorite stores. Abraham and Straus, Sterns, Filenes, Jordan Marsh they are not the same as they were years ago.
ReplyDeleteMacy's was once the grand-daddy of all department stores...but no more. The Macy's at the Roosevelt Foeld store was once the best in the chain. Great service and great goods... they had a tire/auto store, a garden store, and a pet dept. Eventually they put in a bargain basement and we thought that was the beginning of the end. Then in the early 80's they put on of the first "Cellars" (on the east coast at least) on the lower level. The garden and auto building was extended to the main building and a very large and fashionable men's store was opened. Unfortunately like everything else Macy's touched today Macy's in Roosevelt Field is no better than any other Macy's in the chain. The decision to end the Marshall Field name was a big mistake (and they unfortuanately have not looked back at all). Meanwhile Roosevelt Field was upgraded in the 90's... it has Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom. I NEVER even walk into Macy's. What a shame.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that the peope who run Macy's do not understand the harm they have caused to retailing and the department store industry? I totally get the consolidation concept from a business viewpoint. But the people at the top failed to realize the feelings of their customers. Names like Marshall Field, Bullock's, A & S, Jordan Marsh, Filene's, Burdines's, Gertz, and many others should still be used and the management principle could have been used throughout. Does it really cost that much more to have different sales tickets and signs made? I guess it doesn't matter...the stockholders are making their profits.
ReplyDeleteI refer you to the recent BON TON dept stores--they kept different regional names and now, where are they?? GONE. Macy's didn't ruin the regional stores, they kept them alive as best they could because America has now decided that everyone should shop at Wal Fart
DeleteThese two comments are timely - - I just spent the weekend in Manhattan because my step-daughter was performing at the Metropolitan Opera in "Capriccio" by Richard Strauss. We stayed near Macy's, and as luck would have it, their annual Flower Show was in full bloom. Whatever could be said about the state of department stores today, it seems they still know how to make Macy's look good with flowers!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was only 5, we visited the New York World's Fair and I can still remember riding on the wooden escalators at Macy's and eating at a lunch counter with my mom, dad, brother and sister. All in all, a nostalgic visit.
BAK
Macy's in Queens (Rego Park) was "Macy's in the round". Actually only the parking garage surrounding the building is round. Today the building is a Target (as best as I can see from the LIE). Macy's moved out years ago and located in the former A&S store in the Queens Center (also seen from the LIE).
ReplyDeleteI have purchased a pottery pitcher that has "NY Macy's 10/4/67" then a signature. ?A. H__t__. I would appreciate any info on what festival/holiday/celebration this was made for. It is 6 1/8" tall, yellow interior, brown exterior with white wash over the brown. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI am looking for interior pictures of Macy's during the first decade of the 20th century. Can anyone help me?
ReplyDeleteI am sick and tired of everyone making Macy's the villain. I can absolutely guarantee that if Macy's hadn't taken over many of the different dept. stores throughout the country, those same dept. stores would now be out of business. It's the world we live in--you've got to be competitive. When you've got Wal-Mart and Kohl's breathing down your neck you've got to do something.
ReplyDeleteI have an antique trunk with R.H. Macy & Co. Herald Square, NY nameplate on it. I would love to know what the trunks were used for (i.e. -dried goods or inventory etc) as well as when these trunks were made. Any info at all would be great. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteBruce: It is staggering and heart-breaking to read the list of all the iconic hometown store names vanquished-- thanks to Macy*s, but if there is a bright side to this disaster, it is that YOU have given us this wonderful site to go to and appreciate what there once was. Thank you for helping us "go home again."
ReplyDeleteMacy's today is a dump. Although the building (both exterior and interior) is attractive.// the goods, service, and general ambiance have gone down hill. They no longer have sales associates instead there is a service desk (actually a glorified check out line). Makes me sick! I simply will not shop there.
ReplyDeleteOn Thanksgiving most Americans spend the morning watching the Macy's-NBC TV PARADE.
ReplyDeleteFormally it was the NYC Thanksgiving Day Parade a gift to the city from Macy's... but sadly over the years it has become one giant advertisement for both Macy's (the world's worst store) and NBC (which is only intersted in boasting its ratings. How very sad.
Why shouldn't macy's get a little advertising out of a parade they give to America? Do you know how much money they spend to put on this show?? Does Kohl's do that? Does WalMart do that? Does Target? The answer is NO, NO, and NO. So stop bad mouthing a cherished tradition for millions of Americans.
DeleteMy Grandfather Charles Carroll was the owner operator of the Westgate Shop on the 2nd floor of Macy's NYC from the late 1960's through the 1970's until his death in 1981. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of taking the train into "the city" to visit my "Poppy Charlie" at the Westgate Shop at Macy's. I was always facinated that he would custom tailor suits from the materials on display, for a whole parade of the rich and famous. If anyone would like more info please feel free to e-mail me @ rjisaacs1@verizon.net.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to Macy's? When I was a teenager a big beautiful store opened at the Galleria in Dallas. The only Macy's store in the state at the time. What a magic, sparkling store; "The Little Shops" with all the amazing designers. Great in-store restaurants Even the electronics department was over the top awesome! Then, slowly but surely the store restaurants started to close. The electronics, furniture, rugs and even the little shops departments were phased out. I never go anymore, depressing and all the same as all the other now-converted Macy's stores. So sad.
ReplyDeleteThank you for giving the world this wonderful look
ReplyDeleteinto its past. These stores had class and taste, and
gave their customers service, which inspired customer loyalty - your customers knew you by your first name, and knew they could rely upon you to help them find whatever they needed.
I opened the Macy's at New Orleans Center - a Debartalo property. I can still remember how
truly beautiful the store was when we first opened. At Macy's, the customer was King.
It was open until the advent of Hurricane Katrina. From 1988 until 2005. ( I was there from 1988 until 1992) When I left, the store had started in a downward spiral. However,
no matter what Macy's has done to other local department stores, they have given the shopper an
alternative to Wal-Mart, without forcing them to the prices of a Sacks. We still have a Macy's
here in the New Orleans area, but the stores are at suburban malls: Lakeside and Esplanade - the first Macy's in New Orleans.
Today, the two big "department stores" of retail in the Deep South are Dillard's and Macy's. Yes, the world has changed, but like the other comment, we have to be realistic. No one hates change more than I. Like many of you, I wish the individual department stores still existed. It was so much fun shopping during travel, finding the many different stores, with their individual
inventories.
The day I left Macy's as a Buyer, and it was abrupt, was in 1985. I was walking on the 5th floor and in those days it had a pet department. Yes, Macy's sold animals. I had a bad day to begin with. For some reason,as I wandered, I got off the wooden escalator on the 5th floor and to my surprise, there are cats, dogs, birds, etc (I had no idea until that point we sold animals). What bothered me is as I looked at the faces of the kittens and puppies in their cages, were large red Macy's signs, placed above each cage, stating "take an additional 50% off the ticketed price." I literally started to cry and resigned the same day. This is as true of a story as it gets...which is why to this day, even though they no longer sell animals, I HATE Macy's
ReplyDeleteDo a little research and you'll find that Macy's had a pet dept since 1952 as did most regional dept stores throughout the country--Macy's was DEFINITELTY not the only one
DeleteMacy's had independent shops throughout. Marcus Jewrlry, Bakerie, Hair Salon and pet shop as well as post office and more. All employees were there due to nepotism and union rules. Employees were used and tossed out as if they never were there. No recommendations from their personnel dept. They used their talent and when they got what they could tossed them. Good bye, you never really worked here.
DeleteI completely understand your sentiments . . . when the great department stores were truly comprehensive, they were a great part of our urban and consumer cultures, not to mention a part of our lives in general. Now that they are for the most part vending machines for cheap Chinese goods, even with "famous" labels sewn in them, their status has certainly declined to the point of being inconsequential.
ReplyDeleteWhat is important now are your great reminiscences, which are certainly worthy to be shared, and I thank you for doing so.
Bruce
P.S. I never figured out where the "ticked price" was on the puppies or kittens.
DeleteMacy's in bay Shore (a fifty year old eyesore) will be torn down soon - it is currently having a close out sale)... it was a horrible store in a terrible location. It was bad even before Macy's went downhill...hopefully something good will replace it.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous who commented about Macy's Bay Shore. The reason the store was never renovated was becasue it was LOADED with asbestos and the Town Of Islip forbade the company from doing anything to the store but raze it. Also, it was cost prohibitive to just renovate so they waited for Westfield to cough up the money to pay for the majority of the project. Sorry to tell you as you seem to be a Macy-hater that the 'good replacement' you are wishing for will be Macy's! a brand new 180,000 sq Ft. 2 floor prototype of Macy 21st Century. Do Enjoy it in 2013!
ReplyDeleteAs a Young Man,I worked in MACYS NYC,when a MEAT DEPT. was open...In the early 1950s...I was a Butcher working the Quadrangle counters....Any one remember that??..Cannot find any mention of it by Macys!
ReplyDeleteNot only do I remember the meat dept but the bakery next to it! When you entered the store from 34th and 7th the first thing that hit you was the smell of smoked and cured meat! I recall an anecdote told by Carol Channing of how she was fired from the bakery because she kept picking out and eating the blueberries from the muffins! My fondest recollection, (besides the amazing toy store, pet dept, the pianos and organs, stamp & coin, music, fabric etc) was the perfume fountain on the first floor. Anyone recall this? It was the 60s yet there was such a victorian charm to this: in front of the main Broadway escalators on the perfume counter there was a perfume fountain (think chocolate party fountain) The week's featured scent bubbled forth and ladies could dip a finger (as in a holy water fount) and dab the sample behind an earlobe or dip the end of a hanky in and take the scent home to use as a sachet for a drawer! It was the stuff of fairytales! I have been searching in vain for a photo. Actually, as I write this my mind's eye thinks there were TWO such fountains: the grand, large, main one, and a smaller one. Anyone else recall?
ReplyDeleteI worked in the Adult Games department, 5th floor at the Herald Square store, circa winter, 1973. I was secretary to one of the buyers in the offices behind the retail section. It was the year Bobby Fischer beat Boris Spasky at chess, yet the buyer wanted to discontinue chess because it was "old fashioned and nobody plays it anymore!" (Wonder how long he lasted?!) A popular game was the Godfather Game which came in a violin case. Can you tell me what other inventory might have been on the floor at that time?
ReplyDeleteThe flagship can bring back the toys, and some other departments. Make the product selection on 34th unique, like Harrods. Or more like Macy's in the 1970s? Then, it could gradually expand to other stores. The question is, what should Macy's be like today? What can we do to capture the magic that it had in the late 1970s? And what was the product selection like in the late 1970s?
ReplyDeleteMACYS is the worst thing to ever happen to retail or did all these other brands just give up to cash out of the business? The stores that no longer have their names on the buildings Macy's now owns always felt like home, were never full of cheap TRUMP or Jessica Simpson, Puff Daddy kinda crap! WHO BUYS CELEB designed or branded stuff? No one is that stupid are they?
ReplyDeletewhen macys created the cellar i understand that mr. finklestein worked with chester gerber of gerber construction in maspeth ,li, ny. is this correct?
ReplyDeleteMacys in NYC used to have amazing upper floors that looked old fashioned and had really unique and interesting merchandise...like you were walking through an attic with treasures. The cellar was very attractive and looked old world...now it looks BORING and the products can be found anywhere. What a shame....
ReplyDeleteSame goes for the ABC carpet and home store BTW !!
Admittedly, the New York store is incredible--wooden escaltors and all, but I think Macy's figured that the fame of the yearly parade and that Christmas movie would make everyone want a Macy*s in their hometown. Kinda didn't work out that way, huh? Bah, Humbug!
ReplyDeleteBAK, I love your pages. They bring back a ton of memories. Thank you for all the dedication and hard work.
ReplyDeleteAs for Macy's and the pros and cons... They suck. It's nothing like it was. People may still shop there. It only took me one venture into the new store when it was built in my now home state. That was enough for me. I have not gone back there since, nor will I.
I'm a former NYer and Macy's screwed themselves with the ciccus they have created. It no longer has the quality products it once had to make it worth the price, or my time.
"the ciccus?" You're a moron. Macy's is the BEST. They always have what I'm looking for and that Herald Square store is AMAZING!!!
DeletePerhaps we should look to Macy's past (1970s-1980s) for ideas to shape its future!
ReplyDeleteThe one nice memory I have of Macy's is their candy department that I had a field day in one day during the summer of 1990 when I was in NYC with my sister. What an array of sweet goodness!! The funny thing I remember about it was hearing the song "Harper Valley P.T.A." by Jeannie C. Riley being piped through the loudspeakers when I was filling my bag with goodies!! In the early '90s the Cellar was still quite nice, as they had a nice food department with chocolates and imported foods. For me it began to go downhill when Federated took it over in the mid '90s. Nowadays I don't even bother setting foot in there unless it's extremely necessary, which is a rarity. It's advertising in the 1970's was quite good; the logo changed at least three or four times throughout that decade. 1977 was the year they introduced the logo that has been in use to this day (although I do recall the store trying that capital letter font in different colors interlocking each other--this was early-mid '90s I think??)
ReplyDeleteI used to frequent Macy's 34th St. with my late mother. She was an accomplished dressmaker and we loved the Fabric Dept. with all the Vogue and McCall's? patterns. The fabrics were gorgeous Mom made a lot of my clothes. They were gorgeous and I still have some from the 60's. Very Jackie O! We used to take the subway into NYC on Sat. morning. Then we ate at Nedick's on the corner of Macy's. We walked up the block to Oppenheim-Collins. I thought that store was for old ladies. Then we hit Orbach's. They made knockoffs of Paris fashions. Beautiful clothes. they also cut out the labels of some designers and sold the clothes at a big discount. I remember getting a plaid pleated skirt and jacket with scarf that I had seen in Seventeen Magazine for $50 in their College issue for September. I think Orbach's had it for $15. We grabbed it. I also got some beautiful dresses with labels cut out that I later wore to college dances there. I was a senior in H.S. and stocked up on dresses b/c they were such a bargain!
ReplyDelete16. I wore that outfit throughout college. After Orbach's, we made our way up Fifth Ave. to Peck and Peck and Lord and Taylor. We had tea in Lord and Taylor.
Anita-I used to go to Ohrbach's with my mother when I was very young. This was the late '70s-early '80s when it was in Queens Center Mall. I can still remember the OH! bags :-)
ReplyDeleteUp until 1981, the New Haven Macy's was the ONLY Macy's located in not only CT, but in New England as well. I was so proud to have that on my sleeve when I went off to college in Providence. Even back then, Macy's was "A Part of My Life" as the slogan said. I even worked at the New Haven location briefly in 1986. We even had our own Santa (Unheard of now, with the malling of America) and still had book, lamp, alterations, and beauty salon at a branch location.
ReplyDeleteMacy's Herald Square.... it is BIG, LOUD, CROWDED and in your face. Say what you will it gets the job done and NO ONE EVER pays full retail price @ Macy's. What more can a shopper want? I was saddened when Macy's closed established regional department stores, but the move saved retail as those stores had the names but were marginal in their business.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I fail to see the "Magic of Macy's" when I shop there, and their celebrity endorsed merchandise fail impress shoppers. I am waiting to see the long over due Herald Square remodel.
I was so happy to see that someone other than me (at age 53) remembered the Meat Dept. My mother and I would stop in after shopping and get meat for dinner and a little head cheese for the ride home.
ReplyDeleteI remember Ohrbach's, my mother purchased a red sweater for me there, and my junior high art teacher gave me a compliment on it. I also read that Doris Duke , was advised by that man she killed in that horrible "ACCIDENT" that she should stop paying such high prices for clothes, and buy knockoffs at Ohrbach's and she did. TT
ReplyDeleteI have a pewter pitcher stamped R H Macy on the bottom. When might that be from?
ReplyDeleteHI, I have 3 pieces of Macy's history....it is as follows:
ReplyDelete1921 ribbon macy men's club 5th annual &a 1921 program entertainment and ball for the waldorf Astoria & a macy men's club dance card book any infor would be great
For some reason, I have been singing this jingle all day...probably because of the Christmas season approaching.
ReplyDelete"Come on in, we can give you more, you can find whatever you're looking for, we're Macy's, we're a part of your life!" "Come on in, we have so much more, we're the world's biggest department store, we're Macy's, we're a part of your life"
I can remember the television and radio stations playing this in the 1970's. Just thought I would share.
I have a vintage Mrs Claus suit on ebay.... have been told by an interesting ebayer that it seems to be an original Macy's suit that her aunt designed. can anyone verify it is Macy's. the seller name is Harley1minesweep and goes off in 3 days from now...
ReplyDeleteI usually only breeze through Macy's in December, to relive being in the dept. store doing Christmas shopping, with all the decorations.
ReplyDeleteBut this year, I had been following up all year, due to the renovations. Now, it seems for the most part finished. Pretty nice, though I think they've modernized the ground floor a bit too much. Like all the LED signs and decorations, though.
Like what they've done with the mezzanine. Now, both sides are connected, and there are escalators and windows.
And on the 8th floor, they opened up a lot of space adjacent to Santaland on the Broadway side. (You pretty much only had half of the floor for almost the whole length until they gradually reduced the stock areas on the north side).
Now, if they could only do the Brooklyn store like this, which remains totally drab, even for Christmas.
I remember Macy's in 1967 & 1968, 1969. I was six years old. The Mod look was in. They use to box dresses then. I too remember the meat market in the basement. All those cold cuts and meats. My Grandmother use to say that their meat dept. was the best. I use to get my Easter dress that always came along with white gloves a bag and a hat. Oh! Who could not remember
ReplyDeleteSanta and his magical Village to get our annual picture taken. Those were the days!!!
What a terrific online museum! I'm wondering if i might ask for your expert help: I need to illustrate a children's book set in 1938 NYC—and I'm looking everywhere for 1938 MACY's holiday windows and storefront views, preferably eye-level... Anything like that you've come across? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for this lovely site,
Mark
Thanks, Mark.
ReplyDeleteI am not too sure how I can help because I have not seen anything like that. Does your library have access to ProQuest Historical Newspapers? You could browse through the papers during the 1938 Christmas season to see if there are any holiday ads giving an idea of what those windows might have held. I would contact the Herald Square store directly; they may have archives since most stores did photograph their holiday windows for posterity's sake.
Good luck
Bruce
I'm really enjoying exploring the pages here and reading everyone's comments about their Macy's experiences, both good and bad. I'm trying to figure out if Macy's keeps an archive of the programs they sponsored throughout the decades they've been in business.
ReplyDeleteApparently there's an archives director named Scott Byers but I have yet to find his contact info.
Macy's used to sponsor various radio programs such as the one I am trying to locate from December 1933. Author Thorne Smith did his one and only on-air interview with producer Robert Haydon Jones. It was to promote his new book "Skin & Bones" and apparently there was a dramatization of part of the book as well. I imagine Smith must've done a book signing in the store as well while he was there at Macy's.
We happen to have a Macy's sweater table that we found in an old warehouse. It is a large piece of furniture. Would anyone know if there is a place that would be interested in buying this item? So many of our friends all remember the sweater table.
ReplyDeleteHello - I hope you wont mind me getting in touch but I am researching a new documentary series in the UK and was wondering whether you might know anything about the Macy's or Bloomingdale's or any other US equivalent of Harrod's Zoo Department in the 1950s/1960s or later? I can explain more and would love to make contact direct. My email address is laura dot warner at blinkfilmsuk dot com. With thanks and best wishes! Laura
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have a recollection of the "Dutch Treat Luncheonette" in the Lower Level of Herald Square? ... Era? Decor? Food? Trying to get info for a new Macy's restaurant concept in the same floor. Any help is appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Hello Susan!
ReplyDeleteI ate at the Dutch Treat when I was 5 years old and visiting New York for the World's Fair in 1964. I vaguely remember it - but I do have some resources for you if you want to contact me at bakgraphics@comcast.net
THANKS FOR THE INFO
ReplyDeleteIT HELPED ALOT
I worked in the Macy's on Queens Blvd in the early 70's as a part-timer in the drug department. It helped to pay for my college tuition. My fondest memories are participating in the Thanksgiving day parade. We were Santa's helpers and wore these little outfits and froze our butts off. We followed the Anheuser-Busch float with the Clydesdale horses and had to be careful where we walked. We received an apple and an orange at the end of the parade and a certificate that we had participated in it.
ReplyDeletemany years ago the herald square store had a nedicks stand adjacent in the store.
ReplyDeleteI am looking for advertisements of Macy's ski equipment from the 1930s. Also looking for information about the old ski trains that they ran out to the ski areas in NJ, NY and other northern states.
ReplyDeleteHello, I did a web search for R.H.Macy & Co., New York because I have a pottery jug with that on it. It belonged to my father. He came from Brooklyn, NY. He passed in 2007 at the age of 83. Can you tell me if this jug has any worth? It looks like an old moonshine jug about a foot tall. Tan on the jug part with dark brown top. Thanks! mlbastian@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI HAVE A FLY FISHING REEL WITH THE "MACY ASSOCIATES" LOGO PLUS THE RED STAR LOGO ON IT, AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN IT WAS MADE. WAS IT A PROMO ITEM? DID THE MACY STORE EVER SELL SPORTING GOODS? THANK YOU ..JIM NOETHER
ReplyDelete' MACY ASSOCIATES
I worked in Macy's Meat Department back in the 1970's. It was owned by Harold Perlmutter. I can't find any pictures or information. Do you have any suggestions where I could find out more about that place? It was located on the corner on the ground floor.
ReplyDeleteMy family was not a Macy's family (nor Bonwit Tellers, B. Altman's or Saks Fifth Ave.). The only time we visited the downtown White Plains NY Macy's was to stop in to see my aunt who was a clerk there (circa 1960s). We normally shopped at EJ Korvette and Kresge's in downtown White Plains as well as Alexander's. We also shopped at Masters in Elmsford. At one level, as I kid I thanked God for Macy's. Since my aunt worked there, she bought her family's clothes there. This included her son, my cousin, who was 4 years older than me. I got just about all his hand-me-down clothes; they lasted much longer than all my other hand-me-down clothes. I now live in Mt. Holly, NJ; 4 miles from my home in the nearly dormant Burlington Center Mall is a vacant Macy's. Seems the Target next door (where our daughter is a manager) has no trouble making it.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know where I can find a picture of the 1938 Christmas window?
ReplyDeleteMacy's Colonie Center, which opened in 1966, is in Albany, not Schenectady.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if there was a pet shop on one of the higher floors in the 1940's during World War II? My dad went to the original Macy's when he was in the Navy and had always told me he was so surprised to see large animals in the store. Is this true or was he just trying to be funny? He came from a the country in South Carolina and was really amazed at this large city. I have never been to New York myself but hope to get there one day.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know anything about the Macy’s children Christmas coin with a reindeer on them and the Macy’s name on the other side?
ReplyDeleteI worked at Macy's from '81-'93, ending as VP of Recruiting, but as an antiquer (owned 2 antique stores), I also know a good bit about the early days of Macy's. Many of the old antiques that say Macy's or R.H.Macy's are representative of the VERY first 'private label' merchandising efforts. Now Costco has their own brands, Wal-Mart theirs, etc., but Macy's was the first to develop their own product and contract to have it made by third-party manufacturers. I've seen Macy fountain pens, thread, stationery, Macy washing machines, Macy desk sets, lamps and all sorts of furniture with the Macy's label. People have mentioned the butcher shops, candy counters, etc., but Macy's actually had an Antique Department for years and years. I do need the answer to one question I'm researching however. At one point in the late 50's/early 60's, Macy's used abbreviations for their stores. I'm trying to discover which stores had the following initials: DA, CT, LIW, SO, PRV. I believe DA was Davison's, the Atlanta branch, CT Connecticut, LIW Long Island. I'm not sure about SO and PRV. If anyone knows the store names for those abbreviations, I'd appreciate it! Mark Thrapp
ReplyDeleteHi Mark,
DeleteI bought antique French chairs (early 1900's), French chandelier (early 1900's), and Italian pottery from the Corner Shop furniture shop. Do you know the name of the buyer for that department? I remember it was a man and I think he was pretty tall. Saw him merchandising the floor a couple of times and he helped me with my purchases.
LIW could be for Long Island Warehouse. I remember that Macy’s had their warehouse in Long Island City. They even had warehouse sales there once a year or so. I worked at Bambergers from ‘84 to ‘90, and our warehouse was in Bloomfield.
DeleteWe have a rather old, large rectangular table with slide out shelves that people think were part of Macy's sweater department. I do seem to recall that is how Macy's sweaters were displayed. I was hoping to see if I could find a picture on this site. Is there anyway I can verify if the table was indeed used at Macy's?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else remember there being a real carousel in the Herald Square store at Christmas time. I saw Santa there and each child was given a small present after riding the carousel. Please tell me i didn't dream this.
ReplyDeletePlease tell me I'm not dreaming. I remember going to Herald Square and seeing Santa and riding on a real carousel and Santa gave every child a little present. This was sometime in the 1950's
ReplyDeleteOn facbook a friend John Yodice has a 1950's Art Design page.One picture of outside on.the street shows Macy's from diagonally across 33st on the Northeast side...can't make out the store or bldg there...know what it is?
ReplyDeleteTJ Welles SAG-AFTRA 😎⚘
My mom used to take homework home from Macy's. She was 13 or 14 years old, that would of been in 1933 or 1934. She pulled threads from scarves that made fringe on all four corners. Do you know what the scarves were called? She had a name for them. She was born in Brooklyn, NY and just passed away last year at 100 years old. Her stories of New York were always fun and interesting. Any help on the name of the scarves would be appreciated!!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember if Macys in the 1960’s gave handbags to their employees as a gift? My mom worked there in the mid 60’s and she told me she received a handbag as a gift.
ReplyDeleteI have several pieces of crystal barware etched with clipper ships purchased at Macy’s in the 1970’s and 1980’s. I am trying to determine who made them.
ReplyDelete