Christmas At Famous-Barr By Ac Benus

[J.HunterDunn]

I wonder if there's something like "American style" in architecture. The department store buidings from this period seem to me to have a distinct same building pattern, that I associate with America. I have the impression that in Europe buidings like that tried to blend in with the existing buildings and because of that have a different kind of archtecture. Just interested ... for I have absolutely no knowledge on the subject.

[AC Benus]

I wonder if there's something like "American style" in architecture. The department store buidings from this period seem to me to have a distinct same building pattern, that I associate with America. I have the impression that in Europe buidings like that tried to blend in with the existing buildings and because of that have a different kind of archtecture. Just interested ... for I have absolutely no knowledge on the subject.

I like what you say about 'blending in,' but in Europe department stores tended to go for the look palaces. I think of Harrods for example where they were saying to the shoppers "Come spend and you too can live like a king." In America, the desire was for the store to say "We are frugal so you don't have to be."

 

As for design, you can think of 19th century commercial architecture in North America as having three ages: the stone age, the iron age, and the age of steel. In all of these ages, one feature remained paramount: natural light. Goods could not be sold by gaslight.

 

In the stone age, windows were a bit of a problem – the glass in them was pricy and delicate. Thus, commercial structures tended to stay narrow. Height was also restricted, as not more than 10 floors could be built using store or brick, because the building's own weight would crush the lower levels. The styles favored at the start of the century complemented this anyhow; Federal taste, Greek Revival, Gothic, Rustic were all good for stone and brick stores.

 

With the iron age, things began to change. Stores could be deeper, although much floor space was 'wasted' simply providing skylights. Taste changed to Italianate, which was perfect because better glass-making allowed larger windows, and columns in classical style could be moulded in their hundreds for façades and interiors.

 

The building Famous-Barr occupied until 1913 shows that very well. Originally build in the 1870s for the department store Crawford's, the façade is a perfect representation of Italianate style.

 

 

The age of steel and the invention of plate glass ushered in the modern age. An interesting aspect of North American life at this time is how prevalent German and German-American engineers and architects were. With the new desire to build structures covering large areas, and the use of steel opening vast amounts of wall surface for windows, one particular building became the single most influential one in America – Schinkel's Bauakademie (or School of Architecture) in Berlin. The basic 'solution' on how to treat the façade was explored over and over again in North American commercial architecture based on this structure. 

 

 

By 1913 and the opening of the Railroad Exchange building, the presence of electricity finally allowed for light courts to go away completely and department stores to expand showroom floors.

Edited July 8, 2016 by AC Benus

[AC Benus]

Hi, Wini fans! In the new chapter, the young lady gives the boy a gift - a 3-D photo. Here are two pictures of the one I own, which is in really good condition considering it's over a hundred years old now... Hope you enjoy! 

 

 

[AC Benus]

Only two more chapters of Wini to go. How's are you liking it? I believe the final two installments will not disappoint. 

 

Winifred Barrett will come back to town with some new determination, and a big job to do - the grand opening. But, what will she do after that...? oh 

[dughlas]

Two chapters seems so very much too soon and yet likely will be just right ...

[AC Benus]

Two chapters seems so very much too soon and yet likely will be just right ...

Thanks, Dugh

[AC Benus]

I thought I'd share some vintage photos I've found on Pinterest.com. First is another one of a boy having to make a living way too young in life. 

 

 

 

Original entry: "Furman Owens, 12 years old. Can't read. Doesn't know his A,B,C's. Said, "Yes I want to learn but can't when I work all the time." Been in the mills 4 years, 3 years in the Olympia Mill. Columbia, South Carolina."

 

Lewis W. Hine, photographer. Between 1909 and 1912 he documented child labor conditions in the U.S. with photos and interviews with the children. 

[Mikiesboy]

I thought I'd share some vintage photos I've found on Pinterest.com. First is another one of a boy having to make a living way too young in life. 

 

 

Original entry: "Furman Owens, 12 years old. Can't read. Doesn't know his A,B,C's. Said, "Yes I want to learn but can't when I work all the time." Been in the mills 4 years, 3 years in the Olympia Mill. Columbia, South Carolina."

 

Lewis W. Hine, photographer. Between 1909 and 1912 he documented child labor conditions in the U.S. with photos and interviews with the children. 

And we complain about working.. geez.. 

[AC Benus]

Here's one I saw soon after I completed writing Wini and the King of Someplace. It reminded me of the Famous Resort, and perhaps of what Bauer could have been like if Mr. McIntire's sister had kept him. This is an early form of color photography known as an Autochrome. Photos made via this costly process are all very lovely, imo.

 

 

Original entry: "Piotr Vedenisov Kolya Kozakov, and his dog, Gipsy," Yalta 1910-1911. Autochrome by Peter Vedenisov.

[Mikiesboy]

Here's one I saw soon after I completed writing Wini and the King of Someplace. It reminded me of the Famous Resort, and perhaps of what Bauer could have been like if Mr. McIntire's sister had kept him. This is an early form of color photography known as an Autochrome. Photos made via this costly process are all very lovely, imo.

 

 

Original entry: "Piotr Vedenisov Kolya Kozakov, and his dog, Gipsy," Yalta 1910-1911. Autochrome by Peter Vedenisov.

It is lovely this picture.. but someone doesn't look best pleased... maybe it's the hat.. 

[AC Benus]

Here's one I ran across only after having posted Scraps from a Diary, but it seems so perfect. Perhaps these are the resort fashions Constance and Wini wore on the Fourth of July, 1913…. But then again, I suppose there's every chance the ladies in the snapshot were a lovely, wonderful couple. Their intriguing joint signature/dedication is on the top of the picture.

 

 

"Sincerely, Melba and Hazel" circa 1912

Edited July 22, 2016 by AC Benus

[dughlas]

Thanks for sharing these they are each lovely.

[AC Benus]

Look at these images and imagine you are one of the five thousand plus employees on opening day of the new store. Oh, my. What a thrill!

 

Cover

 

Basement Level plan

Edited July 27, 2016 by AC Benus

[AC Benus]

First Floor plan

 

Sixth Floor plan - note the area labeled 'Studio' is the photographer's studio, lab and changing rooms.

Edited July 27, 2016 by AC Benus

[AC Benus]

Here's the First Floor, decked out and waiting for the first customers 

 

[northie]

Look at these images and imagine you are one of the five thousand plus employees on opening day of the new store. Oh, my. What a thrill!

 

Cover

 

Basement Level plan

Such an unusual typeface for the cover (to my eyes at least). But then I'm a sucker for different type designs ...

[northie]

Here's one I saw soon after I completed writing Wini and the King of Someplace. It reminded me of the Famous Resort, and perhaps of what Bauer could have been like if Mr. McIntire's sister had kept him. This is an early form of color photography known as an Autochrome. Photos made via this costly process are all very lovely, imo.

 

 

Original entry: "Piotr Vedenisov Kolya Kozakov, and his dog, Gipsy," Yalta 1910-1911. Autochrome by Peter Vedenisov.

The blue stands out so much it really draws your eyes in to look more closely. The rest of the photo is lovely but gives much more of a 'coloured sepia' impression.

[dughlas]

5000 is roughly the crew of an American aircraft carrier when it puts to sea. Both entities are very much a microcosm of the larger world.

[Mikiesboy]

Look at these images and imagine you are one of the five thousand plus employees on opening day of the new store. Oh, my. What a thrill!

 

Cover

 

Basement Level plan

Love the spelling Employes .. Escalader. It's interesting, was that correct then? An error? and are we wrong with Escalator??

[AC Benus]

Love the spelling Employes .. Escalader. It's interesting, was that correct then? An error? and are we wrong with Escalator??

I don't know about escalator, but employee is an interesting one. Already in some of this 1912-13 material, it is spelled with two ee's. But I first noticed a few months ago the Store Chats from 1945-46 still use 'employe' as the standard. I'm not sure when it became standardized to our spelling.  

[AC Benus]

 

Famous-Barr, September 1913. When the store opened, it operated its own power plant large enough to light a city, and recharged an all-electric fleet of buses and delivery trucks.

[AC Benus]

 

Wooden escalators from the First Floor up to 2.

[skinnydragon]

Apparently Escalator was (is?) a trademark registered in 1900.

 

An escalader was used to scale walls of a fortress. So maybe someone was being witty about the size of the new store? 

[Mikiesboy]

Apparently Escalator was (is?) a trademark registered in 1900.

 

An escalader was used to scale walls of a fortress. So maybe someone was being witty about the size of the new store? 

oh cool skinny!!!  

[AC Benus]

oh cool skinny!!!  

I agree! I knew he'd be an expert on 'scaling'