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:
Cottons, Ads 1946-1947 / Rayons, Ads 1946-1947 - 2, 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.
Decorator Fabrics by Everfast, 1950, 1950
This folder contains a handwritten portfolio from 1950 with fabric swatches, photographs, and magazine and newspaper clippings for the Drapery Division of Everfast Fabrics, with a focus on Decorator Chintz. There are photographs of displays at B. Altman, W. & J. Sloane, Lord & Taylor, and Burdine's.
Department store window photographs
This collection holds photographs of store windows from Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bonwit Teller, Best & Co., Macy's, Franklin Simon, B. Altman & Co., and others.
Drapery, 1946-1947, 1946-1947
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1946-1947 with photographs, promotional materials, and magazine and newspaper clippings for drapery fabrics from Everfast. There are photographs of window displays at B. Altman, Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co., Rich's, Shillito's, and L.S. Ayres. There are also ads for Everfast Decorator Chintz sold at B. Altman.
Drapery, 1948, 1948
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1948 with photographs and magazine clippings for drapery fabrics from Everfast. There are photographs of window displays at B. Altman and W. & J. Sloane. There is also an Everfast test card with fabric swatches demonstrating their colorfastness.
Drapery, 1949, 1949
This folder contains a scrapbook with magazine clippings and photographs of window displays at Hochschild, Kohn & Co. and B. Altman showing Everfast drapery Fabrics from 1949. There are also loose photographs of women's wear, fabric swatches, and some original advertising art, including a handpinted illustration of printed fabric and a room decorated with Everfast Fabric.
Drapery and Women's Wear, 1966, 1966
Ellen Chester Ostrower tearsheets and catalogs, circa 1964
This collection consists of tearsheets of B. Altman ads, seven B. Altman catalogs and three copies of Ellen Chester Ostrower's resume.
Erin, 1944-1946, 1944-1946
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1944-1946 with newspaper clippings and photographs of women's wear, men's wear, and children's wear made with Erin, a rayon fabric, by Everfast Fabrics. There are photographs of displays at Macy's, Bonwit Teller, B. Altman, and Wallach's.
Everfast Fabrics, B. Altman's "Fragrance of Spring," Spring 1958, 1958
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1958 with photographs and fabric swatches of "Fragrance" and "Sachet" drapery fabrics by Everfast. There are photographs of displays at B. Altman where the fabrics are paired with Elizabeth Arden fragrances.