Make time for some fashionable reading
Department stores were once the soul of this country’s downtown business districts. Throughout the first six decades of the past century, from stylish buildings, they sold everything from furniture to food. Loyalty was built by providing attractive goods at reasonable prices and servicing the needs of customers.
As author Jan Whitaker points out, the history of the department stores is as fascinating as their names and as diverse as their merchandise. Whitaker, a freelance editor, has written a remarkable book that examines in detail the American downtown department store and how it helped shape the culture of our country. She documents how the department store set the standard for “the good life” for a broad majority of Americans well into the 20th century.
The stores were local institutions where shoppers could attend a fashion show, see an art exhibit, learn golf or bridge, pay electric bills, plan vacations and even learn to cook. All of this could be done while children romped in the store’s nursery under the watchful eye of a uniformed housemaid.
Most of these wonderful old stores are gone, but for many Americans the memory lingers on. Filled with old illustrations and bits of trivia, this highly readable book reminds us that department stores were more than just outlets for goods. From Detroit to San Diego, from Seattle to Miami, department stores symbolized a city’s wealth, spirit and even its progressiveness.
As this book illustrates, we have lost a great deal with the passing of these epicenters of commerce. Put another way, a big-box store will never be able to compete with a Daniels & Fisher, Bon Marche, Maison Blanche or Marshall Fields.