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| Gimbels 1924 building had a monumental facade facing the Milwaukee River |
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| In advertsing, Gimberl often depicted the store from its chamfered corner. |
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| Gimbels - "A Great Store." |
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| The other corner of Gimbels, depicted from the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Plankinton Street. |
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| Read Michael Lisicky's excellent book about Gimbels |
Gimbel Bros. (1887)
101 W. Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Street Floor
Delicatessen • Bakery • Groceries • Drugs • Wines and Liquor Shop • The Flower Stand • Candy • Tasty Town Restaurant • Costume Jewelry • Fine Jewelry • Diamonds • Silver • Cutlery • Cosmetics • Headquarters for Famous Perfumes • Handbags • Small Leather Goods • Gloves • Fashion Accessories • Hosiery • Hat Bar • Scarves • Street Floor Blouses • Sweaters • Twin Shoe Shops • Headquarters for Notions • Stationery • Books • Cameras • Smoke Shop • Luggage • Men’s Furnishings • Men’s Toiletries • Shaver Shop • On-the-Town Ticket Booth
Second Floor
Misses’ Dresses • Spectator Sportswear • Coats • Suits • Rainwear • Active Sportswear • Boulevard Dresses • Boulevard Sportswear • Boulevard Coats • Better Dresses • Better Sportswear • Better Coats • Better Suits • Career Dresses • Daytime Dresses • Town and Country Casuals • Women’s World • The Plaza • Circa Now Shop • Club House Sportswear • Fashion Shoes • The Shoe Place • Millinery • Custom Wig Salon • Corset Salon • Lingerie • Robes • Leisurewear • American Room Beauty Salon • Antoine Salon
Junior Center Junior Dresses • Junior Sportswear • Junior Coats
Fifth Avenue Shops Fifth Avenue Shoe Salon • Fifth Avenue Dresses • Fifth Avenue Sportswear • Fifth Avenue Fur Salon • Fifth Avenue Bridal Salon • Talk of the Town Shop
Third Floor
Shops for Men Men’s Clothing • Men’s Shoes • Men’s Separates • Men’s Hats
Young Fashion Shops Infants’ Wear • Small Fry Shop • Little Girls’ Shop • Girls’ Wear • Young Boys’ Shop • Boys’ Wear • Boys’ and Girls’ Shoes • Young Accessories • Young Lingerie • Young Juniors’ Shop
Toys • Garden Shop • Winter Wares • Sporting Goods • Auditorium
Fourth Floor
Housewares • Small Electrics • Habitat • Country Store • Appliances • Casual Furniture • Paint Shop • Linens • Domestics • Curtains • Draperies • Rugs and Carpets • Oriental Rugs • Fashions-by-the-Yard • White-Elna Sewing Center • Art Needlework
Fifth Floor
Furniture • Bedding • Interior Design Studio • Televisions • Stereos • Radios • Records • Hearing Aids
Sixth Floor
Lamps • Pictures • Mirrors • China • Glassware • Gift Shop • Import Bazaar • Glitter and Glow Shop • Credit Bureau
Seventh Floor
Offices
Eighth Floor
American Express Travel Service • Forum Restaurant • Patio • Employment Office
Parking Pavilion
Electric City Appliances • Televisions • Radios • Stereos • Hardware • Auto Accessories
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| Mayfair 2500 N. Mayfair Road September, 1958 211,000 s.f. Tasty Town |
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| Hilldale University Ave & Midvale Blvd., Madison 1962 173,000 s.f. |
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| Third Street 2153 W. 3rd. at Garfield 1962 (Opened as Schuster's 1884) 414,000 s.f. |
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| 12th and Vliet N. 12th and W. Vliet 1962 (Opened as Schuster's 1911) |
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| Mitchell St. 1030 W. Mitchell at S. 11th 1962 (Opened as Schuster's 1914) 244,000 s.f. |
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| Capitol Court 5505 W. Capitol Drive 1962 (opened as Schuster's 1956) 260,000 s.f. Golden Anchor Room |
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| Packard Plaza 5656 S. Packard Ave., Cudahy 1962 |
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| Southridge 5600 S. 76th St., Greendale 1970 217,000 s.f. Tasty Town |
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| Fox Cities 122 E. College Ave., Appleton March, 1971 217,000 s.f. Forum Restaurant Tasty Town |
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| East Towne East Washington St., Madison October, 1971 |
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| Northridge N. 76th St. at Brown Deer Road August, 1972 176,000 s.f. Tasty Town |
Coming in Due Course.
Forum restaurant was only at the downtown store. Habitat (housewares) was actually in the south area of the first floor where the deli wasw once located.
ReplyDeleteI have very fond memories of the Gimbels store at Hilldale in Madison. Many Christmas gifts under the tree were always from Gimbels. I would often go with my mother or grandmother. No trip would have been complete without stopping at the candy counter for a treat on the way to the car. Such great memories. Gibles was like a part of the family.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI have an old oil painting that I was told, came from Gimbels. I was also told Gimbels had a father and daughter who painted oils for Gimbels many years ago ..maybe in the 40's?? The oil painting is very small of some pine trees and other greenery. It's framed in a heavy thick edged wood. Do you know how I could find out more about the history and worth of this painting? I've searched all the basic sites but haven't found anything. Help if you can. Thank you, Renee
Forum Restaurant was also at the Appleton Store.
ReplyDeleteI stayed at a Residence Inn in downtown Milwaukee and was told it was the old Gimbels store. It was across the street from the Grand Avenue Shopping Center. On the first floor of the hotel they had pictures of the building "back in the day", which I thought was a nice way to honor the building's past. I'd stay there again next time I'm in Milwaukee - it was very nice.
ReplyDeleteMy mother and Great Uncle worked at Gimbles downtown. Mom worked there during WWII in Hosiery and Uncle Louie worked there his whole adult life in the deli. When we'd visit from California in the 60's and 70's, we'd go to Tasty Town for skyscraper sundaes and ride the glass-door elevators, which still had operators. The basement had great bargains on last-season Saks Fifth Avenue clothes (owned by Gimbels). I believe the Third Street store closed in 1970 (there's still a sign above the side door that says GIMBELS)
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for this. Could you please tell me if you have a citation for this?
ReplyDeleteChristopher:
ReplyDeleteThe information is taken from my own memorabilia and from Milwaukee Newspapers.
Bruce
Dear Renee: The Milwaukee County Historical Society received all of the historical artifacts and papers from Gimbels when the stores closed in Milwaukee. They may be able to help you find the providence of your painting. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting site. My mother worked at the Gimbels-Schuster Milwaukee store on 3rd street during the early 60's, as a comptometer operator. She transferred to the Wisconsin Avenue store shortly thereafter. I would take a bus downtown and meet her at the escalator back by the deli section. We would go see a movie across the street at the Riverside Theater. I remember thinking how huge the store was. Because she received an employee discount, all my clothes were purchased at Gimbels. I also purchased all my Beatles albums in the record section. I have a lot of memories of this store...truly one of Milwaukee's classiest department stores.
ReplyDeleteGimbels was a family tradition. Me, my mother and grandmother shoped the days after Thanksgiving called "Holly Days". At Easter we always had a lamb cake from the bakery. I have spent years trying to duplicate their recipe. Could anyone help me to get Gimbels recipe for lamb cake?
ReplyDeleteThanks! Devoted Fan
I have so many fond memories of Gimbels/Capitol Court. I also worked at Gimbels/Northridge in the 70's. What great memories! Does anyone have a recipe for "Liptour(sp?) Dip sold in Deli? It was scrumputous!
ReplyDeleteThere was also a Gimbels store at Southgate. I got my ears pierced there in the late '70's.
ReplyDeleteSo many of my early days was spent in the main Wisconsin Ave. store. I still dream about the layout. It would seem everything from china to toilet paper was delivered to us on the east side. Thank you for this wonderfulpage.
ReplyDeleteTom Malia in Baltimore
this brings back such fond memories. i wish Gimbles was around for my kids to enjoy. i tell them all the time about the sausage samples on tiny pretzels, that Gimbles used to hand out... the very best i tell you. it was a real treat for me to go with my grandmother and get "good shoes" or christmas shopping done. i can remember how warm all the department store lights were, during the holidays.
ReplyDeleteI worked at Gimbels Southridge from 1978 until the store closed in 1987 and then for Marshall Fields for only a short time. It just wasn't the same. I loved Gimbels. I knew my Gimbels charge card number by memory and used to shop during my lunch hours. The employees were such a family. Miss Gimbels......
ReplyDeleteI worked at Gimbels-Hilldale in Madison during the late 60s. Working in linens, I got to spend time on the phone with our sister stores in Milwaukee getting items transferred back and forth for customers. I enjoyed that job so much! Going into a department store and being personally waited on by department staff is an experience that young people today don't know very well. And it was very much like working at "Grace brothers" in "Are You being Served"! We sure had lovely characters working there!
ReplyDeletemy mother would bring me to gimbels' on wis, ave in milwaukee. what a store' i think about crossing every inch of it from age 5 to 29. in 1970 my first trip to new york' winter i had to buy a coat' where else would i shop but gimbels. i still miss it. carmel ca.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember the xmas window decoration at the Wisconsin Ave. store of Hansel and Gretel
ReplyDelete--it was mechanical with Hansel pushing the witch into the oven--around 1970. I wish I could see that again.
This is all fantastic!!! it has brought back to good good memories I can even smell the good smell in the gimbles department stores my first Barbie for x mass and many many other things I worked at mayfair for the xmass seasons as part time from 1973 to 1977 I was a fyer that ment that you worked where ever you were needed so I worked in almost every department. besides my daddy worked for gimbels from 1955 to 1983 He was a taylor his name was Andy he worked downtown mayfair southgate southridge greenbay capitol drive I can't remember the mame of that one and in summer sometimes in madison so if there is someone out there that remembers Andy the taylor please reply it would make me feel good to know that he comes back into someones memories THamk you
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I wrote that wrong I meant tailor but it's late at nite where I am so I'm ready for bed he was Andy the tailor and I worked as a flyer sorry bye bye again
ReplyDeleteI was fortunate to have visited and shopped all of the Gimbels Midwest locations except for Packard Plaza and Appleton.
ReplyDeleteLike other posts, I can easily say that nobody ever beat Gimbels in my heart and wallet. The Wisconsin Ave deli was super fantastic, especially the German potato salad. I loved shopping for Christmas gifts at Gimbels. And the Hilldale store was fun to shop as well. Getting out of the Madison cold or the summer heat, Gimbels was a classy refuge and a fantastic place to enjoy the pleasures of department store shopping without going into debt. Closest thing today is Kohls, but it isn't the same.
I have some small plates,Haviland & Co Limoges for Gimbel Bros Milwaukee. Trying to find some sort of value for them..
ReplyDeleteso no body out there remembers Andy the tailor at gimbles mens department he worked downtown ,mayfair, southgate .southridge almost in all the gimbels in milwaukee and in summer sometimes in Madison if anyone remembers him please reply thank you his daughter
ReplyDeleteJust went to an estate sale and found a great sewing box, still has the price tag fro Gimbels. Pretty neat! Born in 1982 I had no idea what Gimbels was until I found this site. Thank you for the info. Pretty cool find :-)
ReplyDeleteHey !!! I guess there is no one out there that remembers Andy the tailor not even someone that worked with him maybe much younger it would make me feel good all the italian tailors I'm sure could have passed away cause they were all older than daddy so daddy would now be 90 years old the only one that could be living is mollica I remember hope someone remembers my sicilian pop
ReplyDeleteI remembered the store at southridge. When my parents, my three siblings and I first moved to Franklin, near greendale in 1978 from Montana. My mom loved shopping there. I was 11 when the store was closed. I remembered the store. My mom bought me a toy, My Little Pony there.
ReplyDelete