Trikskirts window display. Rhodes Brothers Department store first opened up on "C" Street in Tacoma, then within a few years had expanded into Seattle and a few other states as well. View of Trikskirts window display, showing a variety of colors and prices.

Department stores--Tacoma; Skirts; Window displays; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

Rhodes department store offered their customers a wide selection of everything they might need to look their best. Rhodes received new merchandise on a daily basis. View of men's socks and shirts section at Rhodes Bros, Easter sales signs in center of sock fixtures.

Department stores--Tacoma; Hosiery; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Men--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

Rhodes Department Store fabric section.

Business Enterprises - Department Stores - Tacoma - Rhodes Brothers - Fabric Department

Rhodes Department Store fabric section.

Business Enterprises - Department Stores - Tacoma - Rhodes Brothers - Fabric Department

Rhodes Department Store lingerie section.

Business Enterprises - Department Stores - Tacoma - Rhodes Brothers - Clothing Departments - Lingerie Department

Rhodes Department Store, "Hi School Shop", Junior's Fashion section. Murals on walls, splatter painted fixtures, many dresses and skirts.

Business Enterprises - Department Stores - Tacoma - Rhodes Brothers

Beauty Shop in Rhodes Department Store. Shampoo sinks at left, dryers at rear, manicure tables at right.

Business Enterprises - Department Stores - Beauty Shops - Tacoma - Rhodes Brothers Service Industry Facilities - Beauty Shops

Weisfield and Goldberg were well known for their beautiful jewelry selection, but they also had an extensive home furnishings department. The window display features a complete dining room set with table, chairs, buffet, tableware and silverware. The background has other showrooms filled with mirrors and other furnishings. The sign on the right side advertises tableware which includes the silver, four famous patterns to choose from.

Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Window displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Dining tables; Furniture stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Silverware; Weisfield & Goldberg, Inc. (Tacoma);

Weisfield's Inc., previously known as Weisfield & Goldberg Inc., window display in the Commerce Street entrance, features "America's Greatest Chair Value" Samson All-Purpose folding chairs, for only $7.95. The chair has a cushion comfort chair, welded steel construction for durability, baked enamel finish and durable samsonite covering. Samson folding tables are featured for $12.95. The chairs and tables are a great buy for either the business or the home.

Department stores--Tacoma; Window displays; Tables; Chairs; Home furnishings stores--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Weisfield's, Inc. (Tacoma);

20 trucks at store, Sears Roebuck & Company, Mr. Moore. Trucks from L.M. Jezek Trucking are lined up in the parking lot at Sears, Roebuck and Company. They were used to transfer merchandise from the local Sears store to Seattle. A labor dispute had kept ten Tacoma stores closed for more than five weeks and no progress was being made as to the opening of the retail department stores. Several men are standing out of the rain under the overhang on the key maker's station.(T.Times, 9/16/1948, p.13) TPL-9609

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Retail trade strikes--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Mr. Fitpold at switchboard at Peoples Store, Times, Frank Herbert. Mr. William P. Fitpold, president of the department store, has traded positions with Mildred Davis, the store's switchboard operator, during the two-day Women's days event at the store. Mrs. Davis was elected by her co-workers to serve as president during the event.

Peoples (Tacoma); Fitpold, William P.; Davis, Mildred; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Sexism--Tacoma--1940-1950;

In 1948 the Peoples department store chain had an empire of twelve stores. For two days, starting on November 12, 1948, Mildred Davis became president of the Peoples Empire during the semi-annual Women's Day. On these two days, women took over all executive positions. Mrs. Davis, who worked as the company's switchboard operator, was elected by her co-workers to be president and general manager. William P. Fitpold, the real president and general manager, shows plans and duties to Mrs. Davis. (TNT, 11/11/1948, p.2)

Peoples (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Davis, Mildred; Fitpold, William P.; Events--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950;

William P. Fitpold, president of the Peoples department store, at 1101 Pacific Ave., struggled with the store's switchboard in this photograph from November 1946. Twice a year, during their Women's Days sales, Peoples' officers and managers were demoted and the women employees took over all the management positions held by men. Because Mildred Davis, the store's regular operator, was elected president by the staff, Mr. Fitpold had to take over her regular duties while she ran the store. (T. Times 11-11-1948 p.11) Times, Frank Herbert

Peoples (Tacoma); Fitpold, William P.; Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Telephone switchboards--Tacoma--1940-1950; Telephone operators--Tacoma--1940-1950;

View of window display at Fisher's Department Store; the display features modern "Morton and Kelvinator" kitchen appliances and cabinets, with a female mannequin on right side. "Morton" pantryettes and kitchen cabinets are along the walls of the display; "Kelvinator" range, freezer, double kitchen sink and refrigerator help give this kitchen all of the modern conveniences.

Department stores--Tacoma; Cupboards--Tacoma; Kitchens--Tacoma--1940-1950; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Window displays; Appliances; Appliance stores--Tacoma; Mannequins; Fisher's Department Store (Tacoma);

Studio set-up of model, Peoples Store, Mrs. Ehrlich. A model is seen from the back wearing a street-length coat with a yoke and full sleeves with broad cuffs. She is holding a purse and gloves. She is also wearing nylon stockings with seams in the back and sling-back pumps. Coats similar to this one were on sale at Peoples for $22.00 during February 1949.

Peoples (Tacoma); Coats; Fashion models--Tacoma--1940-1950; Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Metropolitan Chain Stores were a department store located in Tacoma's downtown shopping district. Metropolitan offered their customers a wide variety of services, including key making and a luncheonette cafeteria with daily specials; Metropolitan's store manager was Walter M. Arnold. View of window display featuring "Advance" dress patterns and 15 cent underwear sale.

Department stores--Tacoma; Fabric shops--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Window displays; Sewing equipment & supplies; Sewing--Tacoma; Patterns (Design elements); Metropolitan Chain Stores (Tacoma);

The Relle Scatter-Pin Ring, a new innovation in the world of jewelry, was introduced to Tacomans at Fisher's Department Store in November 1949. It was a ring-pin combination; the wearer could choose to add a scatter pin to the ring, twisting securely to make a dinner ring. The creator, Norman Carr, designed brilliant stone-studded scatter pins which could be worn alone, or used in the creation of stuning dinner rings. (photo taken for Marian Wood, Fisher's Jewelry Dept.) (TNT, 11/27/1949, p.A-15)

Department Stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fisher's Department Store (Tacoma); Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Jewelry; Rings;

The Peoples Department Store at 1101-07 Pacific Avenue formally opened their new first floor mezzanine on Saturday, August 12, 1950. The new addition held men's clothing, boys' ready-to-wear and both the men's and boys' shoe departments. The newly remodeled men's furnishings and ladies' shoe departments were located on the first floor, with new modern fixtures, carpets and tiles throughout the area. A wide, carpeted stairway with streamlined aluminum guard rails was built to lead to the new mezzanine floor from the main center aisle. 3400 square feet of retail sales space had been added. Peoples, which had opened at 11th and Pacific in 1895, closed in 1983 - the last large department store to leave downtown Tacoma. (TNT 8-11-50, p. 6)

Peoples (Tacoma); Mezzanines--Tacoma; Stairways--Tacoma; Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Employees of Sears, Roebuck & Co. attended a banquet held at the Top of the Ocean in October, 1950. The photograph commissioned by Mr. Moore of Sears Roebuck showed the head table with amusing signs and slogans.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma)--People--1950-1960; Group portraits--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

Santa Claus has joined a group from Puget Sound National Bank at Fisher's Toy Department. The group have gathered for their portrait at "Santa's Western Home". Ordered by Puget Sound National Bank, Bob Gordon.

Department Stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fisher's Department Store (Tacoma); Bankers--Tacoma; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma)--People;

The opening ceremony of Sears Roebuck and Company's new triple deck parking garage was held June 7, 1951. Several weeks of extensive construction activity by Woodworth and Company completed the project in record time. The 50' by 100' Sears Farm Store building was razed in January 1951 to make way for the garage. Central Market can be seen across the street at 1120 Market as well as Corbits Poultry at 1142 Market. Ordered by Sears Roebuck & Company, Don Anderson. (TNT, 6/6/1951, p.B-6)

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Parking garages--Tacoma--1950-1960; Building dedications--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Unidentified speaker addressing large crowd at the June, 1951, opening ceremonies for three-tier parking lot at Sears, Roebuck and Co. downtown store. The new Sears building occupied nearly three acres and contained direct openings on each level to the street(s). The new concrete parking garage could hold 500 cars. Mayor John Anderson participated in the formal opening of the garage. (TNT 6-6-51, B-2, B-6 articles)

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Parking garages--Tacoma--1950-1960; Building dedications--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A well dressed family marches into Sears in the summer of 1951. In a photograph shot for advertising purposes, a sign denoting "New lower down payments" on household appliances is prominently displayed to attract such customers to enter the building. What appears to be a mangler with lid is selling for $124.95 and other appliances can be glimpsed close to entrances and windows. TPL-2530

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Signs (Notices); Business enterprises--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A Sears, Roebuck employee demonstrates a new television console to a young Tacoma family in August, 1951. A similar television with rectangular screen is on sale for $259. Sears was having a sale on household appliances and furnishings with low down payments advertised. A sign on the wall indicates that a 15% down payments would be accepted. Several refrigerators are lined up just a few short steps away. TPL-5046

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Televisions--1950-1960; Children watching television; Refrigerators; Selling--Tacoma; Sales personnel--Tacoma;

View of alley entrance to Sears, Roebuck's multi-tiered parking lot. As the large sign above the parking lot's entrance indicted, Sears offered their customers one hour of free parking from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. This was a new concept to attract more customers to Sears; even in the summer of 1951, downtown parking was at a premium and parking congestion becoming prevalent. New keys could also be made at the garage's entrance with only a minute's delay.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Parking garages--Tacoma; Parking lots--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

Sears Roebuck and Company Department Store, Sporting Goods Department. Luggage on left, bicycles on right, table of hats, balls and bats. Back wall has rifles, tennis racquets, and fishing poles.

Business Enterprises - Department Stores - Tacoma - Sears Roebuck and Company Equipment - Sporting Goods

Sears Roebuck and Company Department Store, Housewares Department. Dishes and glassware in front with pots and pans next to them. Paint Department beyond.

Business Enterprises - Department Stores - Tacoma - Sears Roebuck and Company Equipment - Cooking Utensils, Tableware

Lakewood Country Store, Gift Department. Tables and walls filled with glassware, games, and other gifts on display in mid-November of 1951. The Lakewood Country Store was located in the Lakewood Community Center which had recently expanded.

Lakewood Country Store (Lakewood); Department stores--Lakewood--1950-1960; Stores & shops--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Lakewood Country Store, Hardware Department. Four counters containing hardware items, paint against wall, tools in the back. Photograph taken in November of 1951.

Lakewood Country Store (Lakewood); Stores & shops--Lakewood; Department stores--Lakewood--1950-1960; Hardware;

The Lakewood Country Store, located in the Lakewood Community Center, was a unique department store of the early 50's; it managed to keep up-to-date inventory in its many departments while keeping the country ambience of the past. A customer could purchase anything from fine gifts to thimbles to hunting supplies at the Lakewood Country Store. View of the Ladies and Sportswear departments; Van Raalte nylon lingerie was listed on sale in newspaper ads at $8.95 for nighties and $6.95 for slips. Stockings, Belle-Sharmeer brand, could be purchased from $1.35 to $1.95 a pair. Graff man-tailored jackets were selling for $12.95 a piece. One-stop shopping, including a stop at the cracker barrel and cheese display, was made convenient for suburban shoppers. (TNT 11-14-51, C-2, C-3-5)

Department stores--Lakewood--1950-1960; Stores & shops--Lakewood--1950-1960; Lakewood Country Store (Lakewood); Lingerie; Underwear; Sport Clothes;