B. Altman window display photographs

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.