Schuster's & Gimbels: Milwaukee's Beloved Department Stores

by Paul Geenen

Overview

A nostalgic journey into the life of these Wisconsin shopping meccas—including photos and illustrations.
 
For well over a century, Milwaukee shoppers have had Gimbels or Schuster's in their lives. Even if they didn't crave sewing notions or prize-winning apple pies, they were watching holiday parades wind by, tuning in for Billie the Brownie's radio updates, or losing themselves in front of one of the department stores' fabulous window displays. Not only were they magical places to shop but also wonderful places to work, creating the kind of community where a kid might come in to help out with the Christmas rush and stay for twenty-five years. 
 
Enjoy this loving trip through the history of these beloved stores, from their arrival in Milwaukee in the 1880s through the 1962 merger and beyond.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781614237532
Publisher:	The History Press
Publication date:	07/31/2020
Series:	Landmarks
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	131
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Paul Geenen is a retired entrepreneur, an author and a grandfather of eight. He wrote Milwaukee's Bronzeville: 1900-1950, a history of African Americans in Milwaukee. Geenen graduated from University of Wisconsin. He joined Gimbels in 1976 as a buyer, and was Divisional Merchandise Manager of the Marketplace when he left in 1983. He and his partner started Galaxy Data, Inc. in 1990.

Table of Contents

Preface 7

Acknowledgements 11

1 Two Immigrant German Retailers: 1842-1900 13

2 The Boom Years: 1900-1920 24

3 From Boom to Bust: 1920-1930 33

4 The Depression: 1930-1940 43

5 War and Peace: 1940-1950 50

6 Branch Stores: 1950-1960 60

7 The Growth of Suburbs: 1960-1970 72

8 BATUS Purchases Gimbel Brothers: 1970-1980 87

9 The Changing of the Guard: 1980-2000 97

Bibliography 111

About the Author 112