Service and Style: How the American Department Store Fashioned the Middle Class

A comprehensive history of America's downtown department stores and their influence on culture and society—from careers and consumerism to technology.

From Boston to San Diego and Miami to Seattle, department stores symbolized a city's spirit, wealth, and progressiveness. Situated at busy intersections, they occupied the largest and finest downtown buildings, and their massive corner clocks became popular meeting places. Their locations became the epicenters of commerce, the high point from ...