Emporium Department Store

Images of America: California

by Anne Evers Hitz

The Emporium--"California's Largest, America's Grandest Store"--was a major shopping destination on San Francisco's Market Street for a century, from 1896 to 1996. Shoppers flocked to the mid-price store with its beautiful dome and bandstand. Patrons could find anything at the Emporium, from jewelry to stoves, and it was a meeting place for friends to enjoy tea while listening to the Emporium Orchestra. Founded as the Emporium and Golden Rule Bazaar, the store flourished until the disastrous 1906 earthquake. Once it reopened in 1908, it dominated shopping downtown until mid-century. Many San Franciscans remember with great nostalgia the Christmas Carnival on the roof, complete with slides, a skating rink, and a train. Santa always arrived in grand style with a big parade down Market Street. After World War II, the Emporium, which had merged with H.C. Capwell & Co. in the late 1920s, began its push and opened branch stores throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. However, as competition increased, the company's financial situation worsened, and the Emporium name was no more in 1996.

Genres: Art

131 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 2014

About the author

Proud to be a fifth-generation San Franciscan, I have had a long interest in San Francisco history, its lore, and legends. As an author, I look for the human side of history, the stories of immigrants building their lives and the city that they flocked to. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley, I'm a writer, editor, and project manager and have had my own communications consulting firm in San Francisco for over 25 years. I'm the author of Lost Department Stores of San Francisco (2020), San Francisco's Ferry Building (2017) and Emporium Department Store (2014). I am also a volunteer guide at the Ferry Building for City Guides, a group of local volunteers who give free walking tours of San Francisco.

Reviews

[Bobbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed

While there were many facts that I did not know, it seemed to just scratch the surface. The pictures were wonderful. I remember the Emporium. I was a child in the 1950’s and my mother took me to the Emporium and we ate in the restaurant. In the last years I was working in San Francisco and often spent my lunchtime in the Emporium. All in all, it was a nice read allowing me to explore some wonderful memories.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Looking for historic building photos for my model railroad, didn't find any useful for my purposes but I'm not the target audience.