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| "A Great Store in a Great City" |
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Lit Brothers store, stetching from 7th to 8th Streets
along Market Street in Philadelphia
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The Corner of Market and 7th streets,
showing the 7-story 1919 addition to Lit Brothers
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Lit Brothers (1891)
701 East Market Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
First Floor South
Fine Jewelry Centre, Dept. 331• Jewelry, Dept 131 • Silverware, Dept. 136 • Handbags, Dept 136 • Gloves, Dept 180 • Hosiery, Dept 184 • Rainwear, Dept 135 • Notions, Dept 115 • Cosmetics, Dept 130 • Drugs and Toiletries • Candy Shop, Dept 301 • Stationery, Dept 138 • Sporting Goods, Dept 125
First Floor North
Shoe Salon, Dept 195 • Naturalizer Shoes, Sept. 190 • Men's Shoes, Dept. 196 • Children's Shoes • First Floor Sportswear, Dept 113 • Blouses, Dept 112, 114 • Sweaters, Dept 113 • Fabric Centre, Dept. 100 • Table Linens, Dept. 106 • White Sewing Machine Centre, Dept. 333
First Floor - Seventh Street
Men's Furnishings, Dept 150 • Men's Sportswear, Dept. 139 • Boys' Furnishings, Dept 153
Second Floor - Lits Fashion Centre
Misses' Dresses, Dept 160 • Casual Shop, Dept 187 • Daytime Dresses, Dept 199 • Women's Dresses, Dept 163 • Better Dresses, Dept 175 • After-Five Dresses, Dept. 103 • The Corner Shop • Misses' Sportswear, Dept 159 • Active Sportswear, Dept 161 • Coats, Dept 156 • Pant-Coats, Dept 174 • Suits, Dept 164 • Better Coats, Dept 176 • Millinery Salon, Dept 988 • Fur Shop, Dept 312 • Lingerie, Dept 107, 109, 110 • Sleepwear, Dept 108 • Leisurewear, Dept 198 • Bras and Girdles, Dept 181 • Auditorium
Children's World Infants', Dept 185 • Toddlers', Dept 186 • Boys' 4-7, Dept 189 • Girls' 3-6x, Dept 167 • Girls' 7-14, Dept 142 • Hi-Teen Shop, Dept 172
Second Floor - Seventh Street
Men's Clothing, Dept 140, 141 • Men's Outerwear, Dept 149 • Boys' Clothing, Dept 145
Third Floor
China and Glassware, Dept. 235 • Gifts, Dept. 240 • Housewares, Dept. 222 • Small Appliances, Dept. 221 • Famous Appliance Centre, Dept. 276 • Floor Care, Dept. 270 • Hardware, Dept. 230 • Garden Shop, Dept. 223 • Slipcovers, Dept. 215 • Lamps, Dept 236 • Trim-A-Tree, Dept. 245 • Magic Lady Toyland, Dept 244 • Beauty Salon
Junior Colony Junior Sportswear, Dept 171 • Junior Dresses, Dept 160 • Junior Coats, Dept 178 • You Two Shop
Fourth Floor
Uphosletered Furniture, Dept. 200 • Dining Room Furniture, Dept. 201 • Bed Room Furniture, Dept. 202 • Chairs, Dept. 203 • Sleep Center, Dept. 204 • Floorcoverings Dept. 212
Fifth Floor
Domestics, Dept. 105 • Curtains and Drapes, Dept. 214 • Television Centre, Dept. 275 • Radio Centre, Dept. 275 • Records, Dept 336 • Custom Home Improvement, Dept. 318
Sixth Floor
Offices
Seventh Floor
Restaurant • Men's Grill
(500,000 s.f)
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Upper Darby
69th St. & Ashby Rd.
1948
115,000 sq. ft.
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Trenton, NJ
South Broad and Front Streets
1948
Acquired Swern & Co.
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Northeast
Castor & Cottman Shopping Center
1954
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Camden, NJ
Broadway & Federal Streets
1955
155,000 sq. ft.
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Morrisville, NJ
Morrisville Shopping Center
N. Pennsylvania & E. Trenton Aves.
1957
31,000 sq. ft.
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Atlantic City
Atlantic Ave. & Carolina
1962
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Willow Grove
Snellenburg Shopping Center
York Road & Easton Pike
1962 b. 1963
75,000 sq. ft.
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Oregon Ave. Shopping Center
Oregon Ave & 23rd St.
105,000 sq. ft.
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Lawrence Park Shopping Center
Sproul & Lawrence Roads, Broomall
1962 b. 1960
100,000 sq. ft.
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Plymouth Meeting Mall
Hickory Rd. & W. Germantown Pike
Plymouth Twp.
1966
185,000 sq. ft.
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Echelon Mall (1970)
Voorhees, NJ
Berkshire Mall (1970)
Reading
Neshaminy Mall (1974)
Bensalem Twp.
Coming in due course.
The Lit's at lawrence Park used the early 1960's typecast on the building.
ReplyDeleteIn the mid-50s, Lit Bros. gobbled up another famous Philadelphia store, Snellenburg's ("The Thrifty Store for Thrifty People"). I wonder if you have any plans for adding Snellenburg's to the list of exhibits?
ReplyDeleteThe 4 Lits's locations that opened in 1962 (Willow Grove, Lawrence Park, South Philadelphia, and Atlantic City) are the 4 former branch stores of Snellenburg's
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this. I used a link to this blog on my blog about some Lit Brothers Ephemera.
ReplyDeleteDiane:
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. It's sad that Lit Brothers id gone for so long - even in the 1970s, when I first became interested in these stores, Lit's had just closed.
BAK
If you want to see the LB ephemera, here is the link to my blog: http://www.yeoldecrapshoppe.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteYou don't need to post this if you don't want, I just thought the article might interest you. Diane
Diane:
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is worth sharing with anyone who has an interest in Lit Brothers, or history in general.
Thanks!
BAK
The Plymouth Meeting Lits is now a Boscov's. It was a Hess's for a while before that...I think the original (to Lits) furnishings are still in that store.
ReplyDeleteI am doing a project of Lits in Philadelphia. I was wondering if you had any additional information and if so if you could email me it at roposh1751@philau.edu
ReplyDeleteHi Steve,
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother had a Lit Brothers women's wool trench coat with silk lining that she wore everywhere. It was meant a great deal to her. I really want to find out more about this coat but there is not much on the internet. Would you be able to lend some advise on where I would be able to find more information about this coat?
THANKS!!!
Connie!
I worked at Lits center city Philadelphia store in 1975 and 76...it was the best place to be at holiday time as that store had the best ever candy department.
ReplyDeleteHi BAK!You forgot the basement at Lit's which was a store within the store which even had its own resturant. Back in the mid 1960s I rememeber the furniture floor was the highest floor customers could go and the air conditioning stopped the floor below. I believe the top floor had a giant auditorium with stage. The company didn't go to separate store inventories until 1965-1966.
ReplyDeleteI have a product (litnette inv human hair net) from lit's &b@ was wondering if anyone had info on it?
ReplyDeleteI have a litnette inv human hair net from lits. Any info on it?
ReplyDeleteI have a 1967 Lit Brothers company newsletter. I'll scan it for you if you are interested...
ReplyDeleteI would love to see it, and incorporate parts into the Department Store Museum. You may e-mail to bakgraphics@comcast.net
ReplyDeleteThanks!
BAK, I don't know if this would interest you, but Lit Brothers is the only department store that is confirmed as having done business with the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. The sales ledgers are presumed to have been destroyed in the fire; if either of the Triangle's owners had backup copies, they never admitted to it. The only reason anyone knows about the connection is that earlier on the day of the Triangle Fire, one of Lit Brothers' buyers was at the factory. She was called to testify at the trial.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, the store name is misspelled in the trial transcript as "Litt", thanks to a court recorder a century ago. I've also seen the misspelling on more modern sources, like photographs. This caused me a sleepless night of research, as it turns out that there was also a "Litt Brothers" chain in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, but it was founded after 1929.
Anyway, I thought that it was an interesting bit of relevant trivia. I'll check back to see if you'd like the links. :) (Also, I really ought to set up my research blog. It would make things easier all around.)
Regards,
Becca
I worked for Price Candy Co.selling Charlmont Candies in all of the Lit Brothers stores.
ReplyDeletei have a armiore piece from lit brothers philadelphia its sometime before the 30s but not sure can some one help me with were i can fine info
ReplyDeleteI remember going to Lits every year at Christmas. We would go by bus from Trenton and My mom would take us to see the Christmas village. Of course there was a stop at Wanamaker's to see the tree and maybe lunch.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandma worked for the Lits store in Trenton until it closed. I was still young when that happened. I still have really good memories of going there.
My father had 3 monkeys that he said were from the window display, 1960, any info?
ReplyDeleteThank you for putting together this site. My Dad worked at S&C at 8th and Market for 45+ years, was the silver, glass and china buyer. We used to watch Santa climb the fire ladder into Gimbels from Dad's office in the S&C building. I remember the first year in the Gallery and they removed a huge white panel in the wall of the Gallery to allow Santa to climb in.
ReplyDeleteI am now in an office on the 5th floor of the Lit's building, does anyone know if this was a retail floor or an office floor, the office overlooks 8th street including the corner overlooking the old Gimbel's site.
Yes the 5th floor housed the executive offices.It was beautiful,and was called Magahony Row.
ReplyDeletehave a beautiful white pitcher and water basin from lit brothers is ther any sites for value
ReplyDeleteThe Lit Brothers store was in Morrisville PA not New Jersey.
ReplyDelete