Click in the picture to
read the book that
started the current
started the current
interest in books on
Department Store
History: Michael Lisicky's
original book on Hutzler's.
Department Store
History: Michael Lisicky's
original book on Hutzler's.
Click in the picture to
read about Hutzler's
in Michael Lisicky's latest
book about Baltimore
Department Stores.
 |
| An aerial view of Howard Street in Baltimore shows that city's unique concentration of department stores - Hochschild, Kohn on the left, and Hutzler's collection of connected buildings on the right. The roof of com- petitor Stewart & Co. can be seen across the street on the left (photo courtesy of James Paresi) |
 |
| In 1932, Hutzler's opened its Iconic "Greater Hutzler Store" between its original Palace building and some older storefronts on Howard Street. |
 |
| The Saratoga Street building was part of an unrealized plan to build a uniform, 10- story commerical-style structure for Hutzler's. |
 |
| In 1941, Hutzler's added 5 stories, creating the Hutzler Tower atop its 1932 building. The Saratoga Street "Annex" can be seen to the right of the Tower. |
 |
| Noted Baltimore artist Aaron Sopher was commissioned by Hutzler's to create illustrations for the store's 100th anniver- sary, including this view of the store's buildings along Howard Street. |
The Hutzler Brothers Co. (Hutzler’s)
Howard and Clay Streets
Baltimore, Maryland
SAratoga 7-1234
First Floor
Fashion Jewelry • Fine Jewelry • Fashion Accessories • Blouses • Sweaters • Toiletries • Handbags • Gloves • Small Leather Goods • Belts • Hosiery • Scarves • Stationery • Epicure Shop • Candy Shop • Bakery Shop • Camera Shop
Men’s Shop Men’s Furnishings • Men’s Toiletries • Men’s Sportswear • Coin and Stamp Shop
Saratoga Street Balcony
Customer Service
First Floor South
Fabrics • Notions
South Balcony
Repair Center • Luggage • Book Shop
Second Floor
Carrollton Dresses • Carrollton Separates • Carrollton Coats • Coat Salon • Suit Salon • Leathers and Suedes • Dress Salon • 212 Shop • Valleybrook Shop • Missoni Boutique • Designer Sportswear • New Signatures • Point of View • Sportswear • Sun Shop • Maternity Fashions • Bon Voyage Gift Shop • Institutional Department
Third Floor
Carrollton Shoes • Slipperland • Casual Shoes • Shoe Salon • Boutique de Noel
Men’s Shop Men’s Clothing • Varsity Shop • Men’s Shoes • Men’s Hats
Young World Girls’ Shop • Boys’ Shop • Teen Shop • Twixteens • Infants’ Shop • Toddlers’ Shop • Children’s Shoes • Young World Accessories
Fourth Floor
The Location for Juniors • Collegienne Shop • Juniorette Shop • Saratoga Dress Shop • Women’s Sportswear • Foundations • Shape Shop • Lingerie • Loungewear • Sleepwear • Lifestyle Lingerie • Bridal Salon • Lamp Shop • Linen Shop • Uniforms
Fifth Floor
Gift Shop • China Shop • Silverware • Bridal Gift Registry • Art • Draperies • Upholstery • Housewares • Great Cooks Demonstration Kitchen
Sixth Floor
The Colonial • Colonial Room Lounge • Quixie • Circle Room Beauty Salon
Seventh Floor
Credit Department • Cash Office
Eighth Floor
Travel Desk • Art Needlework • Shoe Fixery
Ninth Floor
Employment Office
Tenth Floor
Executive Offices
Annex
Fountain Shop • Fountain Shop • Candies • Garden Gate • Sunshine Terrace • Sporting Goods Shop • Toys • Photographic Studio • Dream Maker House • Appliances • Rugs • Sight and Sound • Record Shop
(327,000 s.f.)
 |
Towson
Dulaney Valley and Joppa Roads November, 1952
The Valley View Room
|
 |
Eastpoint
Eastpoint Shopping Center Eastern Avenue and North Point Road October, 1956
The Cloverleaf
|
 |
Westview
Baltimore National Pike and Ingleside Avenue September, 1958
Maryland Gardens - Soda Shop
|
 |
Southdale
RItchie Highway and Mountain Road
October, 1965
The Chesapeake Bay Room |
 |
Salisbury
Salisbury Mall
1976 |
Inner Harbor
Just bought my husband a mint condition vintage shirt with the Hutzler label inside. I bought it at a Savers in Las Vegas. That's one traveling shirt!
ReplyDeleteMy mother made a big deal out of having lunch at Hutzler's Tea Room every time we went shopping downtown. There's no reason to go to Howard Street anymore, not that it matter since I live in California now.
ReplyDeletewith few exceptions, there aren't any downtown stores left. Hutzler's was the last hold out in Baltimore (I do not include Hecht's in that equation). A great store in a city that was once great, which is now second rate at best, partially because of no downtown retail presence at all. A real shame.
DeleteI am going to put some Lowell Lenox dishes marked Made expressly for Hutzlers Brothers Baltimore with the green stamp on Ebay tonight 7/10/11! Glad to know what the Hutzlers did!
ReplyDeleteI was the assistant buyer of china, gifts and silver and then the buyer of lamps, draperies, bedding, carpets and the interior design department.
ReplyDeleteWould you happen to remember the color of Hutzlers gift box? Tx.
DeleteThe ones I remember were white with gold Hutzler's insignia on them. They were a really nice box. Very heavy and actually had the same sort of lid.
DeleteMy mother LOVED Hutzler's. I now forever have fond memories of endless shopping at Westview (never mind the replacement at Security Square and the White Marsh store). Seems we were always going there. I loved the little "soda shop" there with the '20s-ish character silhouettes high up on the walls behind the counter. Went to the MD Room for dinner a good deal. The 1st place I ever saw Swedish fish (in the wonderful candy shop at the strange mall bridge to Stewart's) and bought them and been a fan ever since. Mom's sister briefly worked there before it all closed.
ReplyDeleteI do now wish my mother had taken me to the old downtown location - I was shocked to find out it was still open when I was a child.
I just recently went through some of my Grand fathers things and realized that, he had purchased about two of everything along time ago. I was greatly surprised by this & found several things still in the plastic from Hutzler's Baltimore. The most prized was an unopened Bill Blass for PBM navy overcoat with red interior. I love it & now wear it. I have never seen this coat anywhere & can't find out any info on it's value.
ReplyDeleteToday I purchased a linen tablecloth with eight dinner size napkins that still have the labels "Manufactured Expressly for Hutzler Brothers Co.Baltimore MD", Pure Linen, No. 945, Pattern 493, Size 72x90 approx., Made in Ireland, Double Damask Hemmed by Hand. Would anyone know which Irish company made these linens? I have no idea what year they could have been made. The fabric is beautiful and most likely was white on white. The woven pattern is a garland design of roses and fern fronds. Any information is welcome.
ReplyDeleteI went to a garage sale here in Chesterfield, MO this AM. I bought a brand new (all labels still attached) pair of Miss Aris white leather gloves. Great find - I wonder how they travelled here.
ReplyDeleteMy Aunt Pat was a beautician at Hutzler's downtown store. That was in the time when a woman went to Hutzler's to have her hair done before her wedding.
ReplyDeleteI worked in the beauty salon for almost six years as a 18 year old african american and I considerd it a previldege and a honor to be part of Baltimore's history. Patheia Smith is my name, but everyone called me Pat or Patty. 35 years later because of my experience there, I still do hair in my own business. The customer service in the entire store should have been (bottled)and stored in a museum.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any photos of the animated window Christmas display? I purchased a Steiff monkey who I am told, was the one who worked the water wheel in the display. Someone else said he was a window wahser, but as yet I can't confirm either.
ReplyDeleteAny help would be appreciated.
I always remember Hutzlers had a nice Christmas display in its Towson Store.. Sorry to see a very nice and clean department store like Hutzlers in the Baltimore area.
ReplyDeleteI was assistant buyer to Ruth Kopp in thrift shoes for a brief period 1969-1970 upon discharge from the army. I may have been Hutzler's first African American assistant buyer, but before I served 3 years in the army, I had been an assistant buyer for The Hecht Co. Hutzler's was the flagship of department stores. The standards for quality/price were very high and customer satisfaction was stressed. I left to accept a position as a factory representative for a major shoe manufacturer.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother took me to Huxler's downtown for lunch several times when I was a little girl in the late 1960s/early 1970s. We would always stop at the candy shop and she would get me little tins of hard fruit candy, and a small bag of the jellied fruit slices if I'd been well-behaved during lunch. We always went to the downtown store. It's such a shame that these find old department stores failed to thrive in the city. I'll always have some very special memories of shopping and eating there.
ReplyDeleteI worked in the Pay Office downtown on Saturdays and full time during the summer months while I was in high school and college, 1972-1976. I considered myself lucky on several levels- to have a great part time job, downtown during the last of those years when all of downtown was still alive. I was able to discover alot of nooks and crannies in that downtown store, as I had to collect and distribute the weekly timecards and timesheets from each department. I had a great boss, Edith Cartin. I met and worked with many wonderful women and men who helped to teach me dedication to the job and company. I loved Hutzler's!
ReplyDeleteMan where was this site when I did my design thesis project on reviving Howard Street shopping? Doing research on department stores and the decline of Howard Street was so hard extensive. This is a great site!
ReplyDeleteHutzler's was always considered the top department store in Baltimore when I was growing up. It's store windows (Downtown location) at Christmas were wonderful and delighted children as well as adults. It was always a special treat when my Mom and I dined in the Colonial Room - the food was delicious! The Quixie was fun too - limited menu but again great food at a reasonable price. We always bought something from the Bakery on the Saratoga Street balcony level to take home after our shopping adventures.
ReplyDeleteI to remember going to Hutzlers with my Grandmother and Mom. We would go to the Howard Street store and always stop to get fudge and cookies. Later after college I worked for Hutzlers in the Westview store in housewares. The Best job I ever had, turned me into a great cook. I still have most of the items I purchase thirty years later. Was sad to see it closed when I returned to Baltimore for my wedding.
ReplyDeleteLoved Hutzler's and going there when I was a kid. I had to wear Sunday clothes, dress coat, gloves, and thought I would freeze in winter. As an adult I shopped and went to the hair salon there. Downtown was so neat back then. Forget it now.
ReplyDeleteI remember going downtown in the late 50's and early 60's when I was a little girl. We would catch the bus at the corner of Liberty heights and Rogers avenues. Howard street was crowded with throngs of shoppers, not deserted like it is now. We ate at the Luncheonette, I used to get the chicken chow mein.Always dressed in a nice dress, hat, and gloves. Mom used a metal charge plate pulled out from a red leather case to make her purchases. The salesgirls wore round silver pins with the Hutzlers logo engraved on them.Also ate in the colonial dining room with my aunt and uncle, she in a suit, hat and gloves, he in a business suit,all this finery just to eat a chicken salad sandwich. Young people today are so used to casual dress they don't understand what it was like back then. You DRESSED to go downtown. Westview was very nice, but seemed to go downhill in terms of quality after they remodeled around 1979. I worked there for three years. They were putting budget clothing upstairs in with the better dresses. I will always have fond memories of Hutzler's
ReplyDeleteI loved my job as a porter at the Towson Hutzler's. I really liked being in the back halls, sub basement, and other areas that the customers never saw. And, the view from the roof was something else.
ReplyDeletemy dad worked there as a jeweler. think Time Service had that concession. I worked part time where attending City College in their warehouse and later in-store sales in the 50s. My mom "modeled" women's hose in the Howard St display window. Apparently the window was "draped", allowing on the legs wearing the "hose" to be seen ;-)
ReplyDeleteHutzler's was the Cadillac of department stores. I think of it when I remember Baltimore, and I am so grateful for this site
ReplyDeleteI used to go to the downtown Hutzlers with my mother in the early 60s when I was a little girl. We would have lunch in the dining room, which I remember as quite elegant with maroon patterned rugs and waitress stations in dark wood built into the lower area of blue columns. The flatware was silver plated with Hutzlers written on the knife handles. There were fashion models who would stroll among the tables telling you what they were wearing, and from what department. I thought it was the most elegant, magical thing I had ever seen. I always had a favorite desert that was yellow cake with ice cream in the middle and hot fudge on top,
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a little bit older I would go the the Towson location with her. They had a hat salon with a circular table, sort of like a vanity with many mirrors and little chairs to sit on. There were lots of hat trees surrounding this "try-on" table. In those days you didn't have to keep such a close watch on your kids, and when she would be trying on dresses I would try on the hats and "Vogue" in front of the mirrors. I still like hats, and have a great vintage hat collection!
ReplyDeleteI was fortunate enough to work at Hutler's on Howard St. during the Christmas season of 1973 when Hutzler's was still a grand department store. I worked in the parcel wrapping department where items being sent to customers' homes were prepared for shipment. I was a junior in high school and my friends who worked at other department stores were so jealous! I loved when members of the Hutlzer family visited the departments, which they did frequently. They were so warm and down-to-earth, even taking the time to stop by our little "behind-the-scenes" department to say hello. However, we always had to be careful when assembling the shipping boxes; covering the Hutzler name with packing tape was grounds for immediate dismissal! (and rightly so!).
ReplyDeleteI worked for Hutzler's downtown from 1971-1977. I was a college student and worked on Saturdays in the Auditing department. I also worked full time during the summer and any break I had from school. It helped me to pay my tuition. My boss was Barbara Squires and she was very good to me. I ran many errands and was able to see all parts of the store; even the executive offices. I worked with many women who encouraged a young girl trying to get through college. I also worked with many "school girls"; as we were called. Hutzler's hired many students for part time work. After college I worked one year in Accounts Payable before leaving to start my life and pursue my career. I did not realize at the time how fortunate I was to come in at the end of a great era in Baltimore City. I loved working there and working downtown. After I married and had my first child I took her to Hutzler's so that everyone could,see her. I still miss that store and those people. The Hutzler family members would walk through as though they were just employees like us. Those memories have always been a special part of my life.
ReplyDeleteI am the third generation in my family to shop at Hutzler's Howard Street and Towson stores. Additionally I worked in display at the Howard Street and White Marsh stores. I still worked there when the stores closed around 1980. I was given a chrome Art Deco mirror that sat on the main counter of the Howard Street store probably since the store opened in the 1930's. The mirror is beautiful and I want it to have a permanent home in a museum or offer it for sale to a Hutzler's fan. Persons interested can contact me at Barrymike@comcast.net or through Jacques Kelly.
ReplyDeleteI live in Vancouver, Canada. I just bought - at a Salvation Army store - a lovely 1960s or '70s Shagmoor winter coat with the Hutzler's Baltimore label in it. Interesting to see the history of the store.
ReplyDeleteOur family still lives in the same East Baltimore, Baltimore Street, 3 story house since 1900. Originally built by my great-grandfather. In the mid-60's my mother bought these very expensive thick multi-color Persian rugs with fringe for the whole house from the Hutzler store in downtown Baltimore which my grandmother paid for. Installing these rugs involved moving the Steinway piano out of the way so the Hutzlers installer could do his job. When it was all over...my mother sat there and sobbed that the pattern just didn't work and was too busy.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother immediately said..."Let's call Mr. Hutzler." She got on the phone to "Mr. Hutzler". Next day they came, moved the huge Liberace style Steinway, removed the rugs, re-installed the piano, and installed a less detailed Persian carpet. Mind you, the original rugs were custom made and cut for the house. My grandmother's "Mr. Hutzler" never charged us for my mother's "mistake" and didn't charge again for the new installs or the replacement carpet. To this day all I ever heard was "Mr. Hutzler" from my grandmother. What a wonderful store! Our family was sorry to see it go. You didn't need to be rich to shop there and all of their products were very upscale but affordable for us Black Irish. My grandmother would never shop at Hoschilds or Hechts, just Hutzlers where she went once a week in her white gloves to have lunch at the tea room with connecting garage. Those were the days! My mother at 88 still lives in our original house on Baltimore Street.
Today I purchased a "mink" hand muff. The box has HLCompany , Hutzlers Baltimore. I have started to investigate the origins and ran across this page. Great to know it's from a store similar to our Rich's downtown. The stories sound so familiar. My mother would go every Thursday downtown to have her hair styled. As children, we waited in the restaurant downstairs. I can remember the ladies in the Women's Fitting Room area bringing the latest and greatest styles to my Mother. They knew her size and style. They would always have selections predetermined for her and they never disappointed. If only that were the case today.
ReplyDeleteIn my garage at home, I have a cabinet of drawers for parts that came from a Hutzler’s. The back of cabinet says Hutzler Bros. It’s about waist high and was storage for gloves. Each drawer has a metal framed glass front and behind that a solid front about 3/4” behind the glass. That created a a slot in which a single glove could be slid to identify which gloves were in that drawer. Although it’s just a bare wood cabinet with painted front used for inventory, it’s very well made, perhaps a sign of those times as well.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a beat up cabinet now but it’s still a piece of history. A friends uncle was in the construction trade in the 70’s and had salvaged it and I ended up with it.
Had it not been labeled on back it would have probably been discarded.
I have a solid gold Hutzler's swiss made pocket watch....always wondered where it was from, i bought it in a thrift shop in Parkville MD
ReplyDeleteI have a three strand glass teardrop crystal necklace that was my mothers from Hutzler Brothers Company in Baltimore,MD. Believed to be from 1940's or 1950"s. Can anyone say if they have any value?
ReplyDeleteAm curious if Gloria Johnson is still alive. I met her years ago when she lived at 700 Washington Place in Baltimore, and was helping her relocate to Culver City, CA. Nice lady, she was friends with George Schlatter, the producer of Laugh In.
ReplyDeleteI worked in advertising for Hutzler's we were located on the 8th floor (Howard St.) which I do not see listed in the above directory. Talented people and I cherish my experience.
ReplyDelete