 |
| Neiman-Marcus' main store at the corner of Commerce and Ervay Streets in Dallas |
 |
| The elegant details of the main building were supplanted with modern additions in the 1950s and 1960s |
 |
| A popular and renowned spot on Neiman-Marcus' sixth floor was the Zodiac Room, famous for gourmet food and lavish dinner buffets on nights the store was open. |
Neiman-Marcus
1618 Main (at Ervay)
Dallas, Texas
RIverside 1-6911
First Floor
Precious Jewels Salon • Costume Jewelry • Handbag Shop • Small Leather Goods • Hosiery Shop • Scuff Bar • Hat Bar • Accessories • Umbrellas • Scarf Shop • Handkerchiefs • Designer Collections • Millinery • Blouse Shop • Top Shop • Lingerie Shop • Sunglass Boutique • Cosmetics • Estée Lauder Beauty Spa • Candy • Chocolate Bar • Godiva Blue Boutique • Stationery Shop • Sound and Camera • Electronics • Luggage Shop • Via Veneto Espresso Bar
Man's Store Men's Toiletries • Men's Furnishings • Men's Hats
Commerce Street Entrance
Epicure Shop • Fresh Market • The Wine Cellar
Mezzanine
Young Colony Shop for Juniors • Young Colony Shoes
Second Floor
Famous Second Floor Shops • Silver Key Collection • Couture Shop • Boutique de Luxe • Shoe Salon • Fur Salon • Millinery Salon
Designer Collector Shops Calvin Klein Shop • Valentino Boutique • Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique • Chanel Boutique
Third Floor
Showplace: Lingerie and Robe Shops • Figure Shop • Trophy Room • Fur Boutique • Sports Shop • The Beachcomber • Gittings Neiman-Marcus Studio • Concierge Desk
Man's Store Men's Clothing • Sport Shop • One Up Shop • Teen Man Shop • Men's Shoes
Fourth Floor
Maisonette • The R.S.V.P. Shop
Galleria Dresses • Suits • Coterie • Millinery • Shoes • Furs • Accessory Bar • Hair Boutique
The Galleries The Dining Room • Rosenthal Studio • Gift Galleries • Fine Linens • Bath Shop • Bedroom Shop • Sterling Boutique • The Contemporary Room • Cookery • Oriental Room
Fifth Floor
Nonesuch • Young Jr. Shoes • Young Jr. Lingerie
Children's World Children's Accessories • Children's Shoes • Infant's Shop • Children's Shop • Girls' Shop • Boys' Store • Student Shop • A Different Tack • Toy Shop • Maternity Shop • Bride's Shop • The Cuttery • Oak Room • Neiman-Marcus Travel Service
Sixth Floor
The Zodiac Room • Custom Beauty Salon
Seventh Floor
Personnel Office • General Offices
 |
| Preston Center 1951 |
 |
| Houston 917 Main Street 1955 |
 |
| Fort Worth Camp Bowie Drive 1963 |
 |
| NorthPark 1966 218,000 s.f. The Little Mermaid |
 |
| The Galleria Houston 1969 224,000 s.f Mariposa Cafe |
 |
| The Shops at Bal Harbour Miami Beach, FL 1971 97,000 s.f. The Zodiac |
 |
| Atlanta, GA Lenox Square 1972 154,000 s.f. The Zodiac |
 |
| St. Louis, MO Plaza Frontenac 1975 148,000 s.f. The Zodiac |
 |
| Northbrook Court Northbrook, IL 1976 144,000 s.f. The Zodiac |
Coming in due course.
Neiman Marcus will be opening in the Roosevelt Filed Mall (the largest mall on the east coast) in about two years. It will mean expansion of an already too large mall and will mean more crowds in an already too crowded mall.
ReplyDeleteNeiman Marcus has a store in Boston at the Copley Place Mall. A beautiful building it has pretensious service and over priced goods. The sales staff is very snooty and not very helpful.
ReplyDeleteThere is a Neiman Marcus in the Westchester in White Plains NY. It took over the former Bergdorf Goodman building (which did not last very long). Most people shop the other end of the mall at Nordstroms
ReplyDeleteIf there is a department store in Hell, it most certainly looks like NM in the Houston
ReplyDeleteGalleria. Once a mid-century stunner in honey toned woods and soft aqua walls, the place is now snowy, hospital operating room white with what could be called "interogation" lighting. The salespeople, of which there are many, are dressed from head to toe in funeral black, complete with garish "Twilight" make-up (including the guys). But, worry not, these vampires will not attack because they are too busy chatting with each other. Warm, fuzzy memories of shopping will never be conjured up here!
Wow, what great memories this brings back! The downtown Dallas store was in its entirety a magic store. Every step and turn off the escalators to the top floor was amazing. The Zodiac room with its floor to ceiling diaphanous curtains that filtered the bright Texas sky made for a dreamlike atmosphere along with the slender long legged models in evening gowns and furs and the Andre Previn inspired piano player. The popovers with strawberry and cinnamon butter weren't bad either. Thank you Dallas and Neiman-Marcus for such a rich time in my life. The Russian waitress at the Mermaid Bar at NorthPark was a real cutie too.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Dallas during the "Dallas" T.V. Show era, when the oil boom was building Dallas into a mega-shopping destination. My first visit to NM was when I was in the 6th grade. I went to buy my grandmother, mother and sister a Christmas gift, the store was magical in every sense. They had the BEST gifts for everyone, Free wonderful gift wrapping, pretty shopping bags, all the things that a true luxury store should have. Now as a adult, I will be moving back to Dallas in two weeks, and I will live on the top floor of the highrise building(Republic Tower- Ervay St) in the background of the original NM store photo on your site. I can see NM from my living room windows, and it brings back such a special time in my childhood. I know the store is much more modern and colder now, but it will be nice to walk down the street, pop in and remember it when it was such a special place.
ReplyDeleteI miss the "Fortnight" celebrations at the Main Store (known locally as "The Store" thanks to Stanley Marcus). The whole store would get re-made into whatever country they were celebrating. They brought in foods, clothing,souvenirs and the like from that country; things even tourists to the country being celebrated, had never seen. One year, I stopped at Neimans while I was on an Antique Show circuit through Texas. I was headed to Lubbock for a show/sale and needed warmer clothes than I had with me. I found a Fisherman Knit wool sweater (Fortnight was Ireland that year) for about $50.00. CHEAP, really. I still have the sweater! If I still have memorabilia, I will send in some photographs when I get back to Dallas. Avie K.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Neiman Marcus goes I highly recommend reading Stanley Marcus's 1st book "Minding The Store." I have most likely read that dam book from cover to cover at 3 least 3 times! It is written in a wonderful semi auto biographical style. It's like reading gossip. lol!
ReplyDeleteYou will get to know Stanley's kindly father Herbert Marcus who co founded the company with the semi tyrannical Al Neiman. There are some very interesting women mentioned in the book such as the quality driven Carrie Neiman (Aunt Carrie) and her assistant buyer Moiré Cullen . "Always For Better" was their motto.
The show room salesman in the fashion district shuttered when they came to town, because they like to dissect a garment to make it better. "Don't use rayon to line that dress, use silk instead." "Change those garish buttons." And when a special customer was in New York and wanted to be shown around the fashion houses they would drop what they were doing. A young Stanley Marcus asked his Aunt Carrie " "How can you afford to take the time out of a buying trip to do this?" She replied "We can't afford not to."
It should be noted that as the head buyer/Vice president Carrie Neiman never had or wanted an office. She preferred to work on the sales floor and eat her lunch in a fitting room. She was a hands on gal.
No description of Neiman Marcus would complete without mentioning the Cantankerous Helen Corbett the food director of the Zodiac restaurant. Stanley Marcus nick named her "My Wild Irish Genius."
Helen Corbett's response to Stanley Marcus's complaint that the restaurant was still losing money-
"you didn't mention money when you employed me. You simply said that you wanted the best food in the country. I have given you that. " He never again complained about the losses. lol!
And there are many very funny antidotes about customers too!
I have heard that the second branch store in Dallas was opened in 1959 in Big Town Mall in Mesquite. According to rumor, the store closed within six months after it opened and Sanger Brothers bought that location.
ReplyDeleteI received my new Neiman Marcus credit card by mail, with notification that my old credit card is no longer valid. I guess I'll frame the old
ReplyDeletebeige and cream Neiman-Marcus card that I've carried so many years. When I first got it, it meant more than my college diploma. As I recall, Stanley Marcus send credit card applications or gratis cards to all Texas women
graduates. I carried the old card, with pride,
around the world, and have most, maybe all, Christmas books.
We knew Mr. Marcus, from a distance, when we lived in Santa Fe. My husband had one great encounter with him, in early 1960s. Husband was
an employee of the Interior Department. He was
on a muddy, dirt road, near Chimayo, NM. He came upon a luxury car, stuck in mud, off road.
He gave a ride in his government pickup to the
car's occupants, to the town of Espanola. He
recognized Stanley Marcus, who rode in back of
pickup. With him in front rode a woman he did
NOT then recognize--turned out to be Greer Garson Fogelson and Mrs. Marcus. The Fogelson's
owned a ranch near Pecos, NM, and they'd gone out to see some of New Mexico. They did great
service to that state and to our world.
I tried shopping at the branch at King Of Prussia PA ( a large three level trend setter) but alas I was apparently invisible to a group of trend setting sales associates.
ReplyDeleteWhat's up, yeah this piece of writing is in fact pleasant and I have learned lot of
ReplyDeletethings from it on the topic of blogging. thanks.
my page; moving companies TX
Thanks for the share and keep up the amazing work.
ReplyDeleteI have loved reading about the dept. stores but came here in search of information re the Southwestern Life Ins. bldg. on Main and Akard. I know it was torn down and replaced by a park but I'd like to know the details/timeline. I worked for the ins. co. in 1962-64 then left for college in Commerce, TX ETSU
ReplyDeleteI have purchased a small copper pot with Neiman Marcus Exclusive Texas stamped on it ( Wagner Copper) But I cant find ANY information about it. I would love any input
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother worked in the Coutoure department of the downtown Neiman Marcus and the Galleria location for over 30 years. That being said, I have a watch of hers that I'm trying to find the history of, if anyone can help. The watch is 24k gold, is surrounded by diamonds and emeralds, says "Neiman Marcus" on the face and came in a Tiffany watch box. I'm thinking it might be from a grand opening or anniversary celebration. Thanks for any input!
ReplyDeleteWalked thru N-M with a convention group of CIA guys and pointed out that we'd risked our lives for such extravagance. All nodded silently and we all slinked away.
ReplyDeleteits all made In China now. Their bags are made in Vietnam for 20 cents an hour. what was upscale has been reduced to rubble. lately
ReplyDeleteM. Miller
ReplyDeleteMy husband returned from a business trip to Dallas in the late 1960s with a beautiful necklace. We were just starting out and every penny counted. He refused to tell me what he paid for it. I would love to hn Ave more information on it - maker etc.
If anyone knows how we to research it let me know please.
I would think your best bet to find out more about your necklace is contacting reparable antique jewelry/appraiser like the people on Antique Road Show. There is a website for them with a listing of their appraisers. Usually there maybe a small fee and that will be told to you up front if there is. I wish you luck in your search. L Sandalwood
ReplyDeleteI would like to have things from the old days. Because nowadays are all made in China, or First class, second class and even authentic. If gotten to have an original, the price would be huge.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Fort Worth store moved to Ridgmar Mall in 1976, which many lamented. The mall declined as so many have. The store relocated to the chic new Shops at Clearfork in early 2017.
ReplyDelete