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:
Everfast Fabrics, N. Erlanger, Blumgart & Co., 1933 - 1, 1933
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1933 with newspaper clippings, fabric swatches, and promotional materials for Everfast Fabrics under N. Erlanger, Blumgart & Co. There are ads for women's wear and children's wear, with a focus on sportswear and beachwear.
Everfast Fabrics, N. Erlanger, Blumgart & Co., 1933 - 2, 1933
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1933 with newspaper clippings, fabric swatches, and promotional materials for Everfast Fabrics under N. Erlanger, Blumgart & Co. There are ads for women's wear and children's wear, with a focus on sportswear and beachwear.
Everfast Fashions, 1946-1947 / Everfast Third Edition of the Fashion Review, 1946 / Everfast Fashion Show, November 26, 1946, also Publicity from Altman's Promotion of Portuguese plaids by Everfast, November 26, 1946, 1946-1947
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1946-1947 with newspaper clippings, photographs, and promotional materials for women's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are designs by Claire McCardell, Carolyn Schnurer, Joset Walker, Emily Wilkens, and Tina Leser, with reviews by Eleanor Lambert and photographs by Marian Stephenson. There are ads for Everfast's Portuguese plaids and "Have Fun" fabrics, and photographs of window displays at B. Altman.
Everfast Vogue Promotion, April 15, 1951, 1951
Everfast Vogue Promotion, April 15, 1951, 1951
This folder contains a scrapbook from April 1951 with magazine clippings, promotional materials, and business correspondence for the promotion called "A Bag Full of Summer Cottons by Everfast," printed in Vogue. The promotion was a collaboration between Everfast Fabrics and Henry Rosenfeld, Korday, Juniorite, Dorian-Macksoud Corporation, Amelia Earhart luggage and B. Altman. There are copies of advertising leaflets sent out by particpating stores and photocopies of newspaper ads.
Grace Line, 1955-1956, 1955-1956
Label samples, 1930s-1967, 1930s-1967
This folder contains loose pages with over 200 woven fabric labels and printed hang tags from Everfast Fabrics' collaborations with department stores and designers in the 1930s-1960s.
Magazine Publicity, Institutional Ads, 1950-1951, 1950-1951
Men's Wear, 1944-1945, 1944-1945
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1944-1945 with newspaper clippings and photographs for men's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are ads for Shan-o-lin, Erin, and Gabardine fabrics, and McGregor shirts, sold at a various department stores including Macy's, Best & Co., Filene's, and B. Altman.
Newspaper Advertisements, Everfast 1947-1948 / Ready to Wear 1948-1949 - 1, 1947-1949
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1947-1949 with newspaper clippings for women's, men's, and children's ready to wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are designs from Joyce Hubrite, Cole of California, Jolyn Juniors, Kate Greenaway, and Carolyn Schnurer, sold at a variety of depertment stores, including Best & Co., Franklin Simon, and B. Altman.