Description
The Bullock's Department Store Collection consists of 680 photographs and 29 glass plate negatives related to the Los Angeles,
California-based department store
between 1905 and 1971 (bulk 1912-1945), as well as 2 boxes of ephemera pertaining to Bullock's publicity and events between
1915 and 1952. The collection focuses primarily on the
retail spaces, displays, departments, and employees at the downtown Los Angeles store once located at Broadway, 7th,
and Hill Streets. The photographs document the various
functions associated with the store including the full range of departments; window displays; store merchandising; employee
activities and gatherings; children's parties and
parades; advertising billboards; the August sales event and crowds; and construction scenes from 1912 and 1928. Photographers
include Warren Bowen Studios; Brown and Warrington;
duBois Photo Co.; Frank C. Elliott; Jim England; Graham Photo; Keystone Photo; J.C. Milligan; Ernest Pratt; Otto Rothschild;
Stagg Photography; Art Streib; "Dick" Whittington
Studio; Whitland Locke Commercial Photography; and Witzel Photo.
Background
The original Bullock's Department Store was designed by the architectural firm of
Parkinson and Bergstrom and opened in March 1907 at 639-657 South Broadway in Los
Angeles, California. Bullock's flagship store proved so successful that it expanded quarters in
1912. The company purchased adjacent buildings in 1917 and 1919 for a total of
460,000 square feet. "By 1920," writes Richard Longstreth, "Bullock's and Robinson's
functioned as anchors to an elite shopping precinct that was unprecedented in Los
Angeles." Between 1923 and 1928, Bullock's added an additional 400,000 square feet
through the construction of three more additions while also purchasing two adjacent
buildings. Bullock's Inc. eventually opened a second store on Wilshire Boulevard
(1929) as well as additional stores in Westwood Village (1932), Pasadena (1947), and
Fashion Square in Orange County (1958).
Extent
709 photographs (including prints and glass plate negatives) and ephemera in 15 boxes (15.38 linear feet)
Restrictions
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and
obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Availability
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader
Services.