Proper, Dignified and Classic Shopping

This summer two major department stores closed in the centers of two cities separated by 3,400 miles. Both stores have had long histories, were cultural and geographic landmarks, and treated the customer to a fine shopping experience in buildings that used marble and brass, rather than concrete and fluorescent lights.

Kaufmann’s was a Pittsburgh institution. Originally founded in 1871 by German immigrants, its flagship store, at the corner of 5th Avenue and Smithfield Street, opened its doors in 1887. The department store evolved into a regional chain that had stores in five states. Eventually, the chain was bought by Federated Department Stores and in 2006 the flagship store’s name was changed to Macy’s.

In the summer of 2015, Macy’s announced that it would be closing its downtown location and the Kaufmann Building would be converted into offices and apartments. Although I had been in the store from time to time. The announcement prompted me to explore the store before its final closing. 

One of the historical aspects to the building is that Frank Lloyd Wright was hired to design the executive offices on the top floor as well as him masterpiece, Falling Water, on the company’s retreat south of Pittsburgh near Mill Run, Pennsylvania. In the late 1920s, the store was substantially redesigned with an art deco interior. While much of the interior has since been remodeled; features have been hidden or abandoned, but the elevators still retain the art deco design. My trip to the eleventh floor felt like snooping, as the only thing open on the level was the salon. I explored some of the empty corridors that had no signs forbidding entry, but clearly had not been used for quite some time. Behind a glass wall one could still see Edgar’s Restaurant, a mid-level eatery; Michael’s Restaurant, a high-end establishment; and, the Forbes Room, a nice meeting room that probably had catered meals as well. Just down the hall, an open door revealed the massive kitchen that served all three establishments. Towards the end of the building’s tenure as a department store, the only remaining restaurant was the Tic Toc Restaurant on the first floor. The Tic Toc opened in 1959 and, in later years, served many of the dishes made famous on the eleventh floor.

Earlier in the summer the classic department store in Dublin, Cleary’s located on O’Connell Street, closed its doors without warning. After years of financial difficulties, aggravated by the global financial crisis, the receivership company announced the store’s immediate closing and liquidation in June. Much like Kaufmann’s, and other department stores in North America and Europe, Cleary’s was a local shopping destination, where one could take time out for a meal or afternoon tea. I once heard a Dubliner tell a group of American students that if they wanted to buy something nice for their mothers, they could do so in Cleary’s. 

In addition to the many other parallels between the two stores something that Kaufmann’s and Cleary’s had in common was the ornate clocks that graced the outside of the buildings. Because of the central location of these stores, and the recognizable landmarks the stores represented, residents in both cities, in an era before mobile phones and texting, would make plans to meet “beneath the clock at…” Given the ornate clock at the old Marshall and Fields building in Chicago, it was probably the case there as well.

So why mourn, or memorialize, these old department stores? In the days before nondescript malls and fluorescent lighting, grand department stores, with their fabulous architecture and decorative fixtures, ennobled the shopper and provided a memorable experience. These beautiful and elaborate buildings were a sign that the merchant took pride in their work and made the customer feel welcome.