Daniels and Fisher: Denver's Best Place to Shop

by Mark A. Barnhouse

For 129 years, Daniels and Fisher and May-D&F proudly served the Mile High City. Today, the restored Daniels and Fisher Tower adorns the Sixteenth Street Mall while the I.M. Pei-designed ice-skating rink and hyperbolic paraboloid at May-D&F survive only in memories. The story of these institutions is filled with fascinating characters, including dashing, tower-building William Cooke Daniels; his aristocratic English wife, Cicely; and flamboyant William Zeckendorf, whose city-building dreams outpaced his finances. Generations of Denverites shopped these stores and still remember white-gloved sales ladies, meals served in the D&F Tea Room and views from the observation deck. Join author Mark A. Barnhouse as he brings the spectacular Christmas displays, fantastic fortnights celebrating foreign cultures and Carl Sandell--the seven-foot, five-inch Daniels and Fisher doorman--back to life.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

163 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 16, 2015

Reviews

[Lukas Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to find this on HOOPLA because it is really not easy to locate around here. Barnhouse does a masterful job of painting the picture of what this store was. His words as terrific and the actual photos do a wonderful job of completing the package. A great look at a really specific portion of Denver history and I love a micro-focused book like that.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The D&F Tower still stands, although re-purposed, as an historic landmark on downtown Denver's 16th Street Mall. This short book is well written and researched. The story of the founders and subsequent owner/managers of the original department store is more interesting than I'd expected. The establishment of the department store amidst persistently strong competition and its merger with competitors is documented, but the personal side to the players' lives also makes for compelling reading. The scandal wrought by the May-December marriage of William Daniels to a vivacious Spanish-American elocution teacher and (gasp!) sometime actress is reminiscent of the Baby Doe Tabor tale. And I'd never heard of it though it was the talk of the town in its day, according to the author. Several other characters stand out and make for a lively narrative, including the seven foot-plus doorman who greeted customers for decades, as well as the lovely English noblewoman who wed Daniels' son and successor in business. This is full of historic detail and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in early Denver or who, like myself, remembers the Courthouse Square at the downtown May D&F department store (with the skating rink and modern wing) designed by I.M. Pei, or the Cherry Creek branch, located where the busy mall now stands.