B. Altman & Co.
Dates
- Existence: 1865-1990
Biography
The B. Altman Company was founded by Benjamin Altman in 1865 at 10th St. and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan's East Village and in the early 1870s, the retail establishment relocated to Ladies' Mile. As the department store steadily grew into one of New York's leading retailers, a larger premises was planned, opening in 1877 at 301 6th Ave between 18th and 19th Streets. In 1904, the New York Evening Sun described the Altman’s Sixth Avenue establishment as “one of the greatest stores in the world … a Bon Marché of the New World.” In 1906, the store relocated once again to a larger premises on Fifth Ave and 34th St. which was dubbed the "Palace of Trade...the store was organized literally by departments: women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing, lingerie, maids’ uniforms, linens, fine lace, and even art objects and rare books and manuscripts, all under one roof." Customer's flocked to the Fifth Avenue location, making B. Altman a pioneer on the development of the Fifth Avenue retail scene.
Upon the death of Benjamin Altman in 1913, the store was operated by his philanthropic organization, the Altman Foundation. However in 1986, the New York state tax code changed, making it illegal for a charitable organization to own a for-profit endeavor which funded it. Sold to other business entities, the company floundered, filing for bankruptcy in 1989 and shuttering its doors in 1990. The B. Altman Building located on Fifth Avenue was granted landmark status by New York City in 1985 and now houses the CUNY Graduate Center and for a brief period was home to NYPL's SIBL Library.
Found in 46 Collections and/or Records:
1935 - 1, 1936-1937
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1935 with newspaper and magazine clippings for women's wear and children's wear made with Everfast Fabrics under N. Erlanger, Blumgart & Co. There is a focus on Tahitian-inspired prints used in beach wear and resort wear. There are some fabric swatches and photographs of department store displays.
1935 - 2, 1936-1940
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1935 with newspaper and magazine clippings for women's wear and children's wear made with Everfast Fabrics under N. Erlanger, Blumgart & Co. There is a focus on Tahitian-inspired prints used in beach wear and resort wear. There are some fabric swatches and photographs of department store displays.
1939, 1939
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1939 with newspaper clippings for women's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. The ads are primarily for ready to wear and Butterick sewing patterns, with a focus on several Butterick-Everfast fashion shows, Trinka Van Dorn at Bonwit Teller, and New Amsterdam-inspired cottons designed by Gwenyth Waugh.
April 1950, Everfast Starts a New Decorating Trend!, 1950
This folder contains a scrapbook with promotional materials, photographs, and fabric swatches for Damask Perennial fabric by Everfast. There are photographs of displays in B. Altman and Burdine's.
B. Altman & Co. collection
This collection holds scrapbooks of print ads, editorial content and articles about B. Altman's.
B. Altman window display photographs
This collection holds photographs mostly of B. Altman's display windows from the 1930's through 1987. Additional photographs include the department store's involvement in supporting the war. Displays cover all seasons and styles and many designers: Ralph Lauren, Adri, De la Renta, Anne Klein, and Diane Von Furstenberg.
Ban-Care Promotions, 1959, 1959
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1959 with photographs, swatches, business correspondence, and newspaper and magazine clippings for women's wear, men's wear, and children's wear made with Everfast Fabrics and treated with Ban-Care by Joseph Bancroft & Sons Company. There are ads for Everfast Pam Pam fabric and for designs by Nancy Greer and Ship n' Shore. There are photographs of displays at Wanamaker's, Best & Co., B. Altman, and Macy's.
Catalogs, 1961-1963, 1961-1963
This folder contains approximately 60 catalogs from department stores, including Macy's, Lord and Taylor, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue.
Children's Wear, 1955-1959, 1955-1959
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1955-1959 with newspaper and magazine clippings, photographs, and promotional materials for children's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are ads for designs by Youngland, Kate Greenaway, Tiny Town Togs, and Joseph Love. There are photographs of displays at B. Altman and Macy's.
Cottons, Ads 1946-1947 / Rayons, Ads 1946-1947 - 1, 1946-1947
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1946-1947 with newspaper clippings for women's ready to wear and some children's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are designs by Claire McCardell, Ceil Chapman, and Carolyn Scnhurer in Portuguese Plaids, Chambray, and Seersucker fabrics, sold at B. Altman, Franklin Simon, Macy's, Bonwit Teller, and other department stores around the country. The scrapbook is divided into a section with cotton ads and a section with rayon ads.