Department Store

I must say, I do not have many photos of department stores, because I never think much of a photography when visiting them, also in most of the places taking photos is illegal anyway. There has been at least one exception, I took photos at Macy's Center City in Philadelphia. While staying there I was taken here and there by my wonderful host Mr. H.

There is a quite an interesting story about the past of Macy's Center City, which in the beginning wasn't called like that at all. It was called Wanamaker's department store. It was the first department store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the first department stores in the United States. 

At its zenith in the early 20th century, Wanamaker had department stores, located both in Philadelphia, and 2 locations in New York City; at Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street, and the other at 770 Broadway. Both employed extremely large staffs. 

By the end of the 20th century in the shopping-mall era, there were 16 Wanamaker's outlets, but after years of change the chain was bought by Albert Taubman, and added to his previous purchase of Woodward & Lothrop, the Washington, D.C., department store. In 1994, Woodies, as it was known, filed for bankruptcy. The assets of Woodies were purchased by the May Company Department Stores and JCPenney. 

In 1995, Wanamakers transitioned to Hecht's, one of the May Company brands. As of 2012, the occupant of the former Philadelphia Wanamaker's Department Store is Macy's Center City.

The fame and fortune, the crash and change.

Anyway, but look at the photo and imagine how beautiful one department store can be.