Print / View Finding Aid as Single Page

@ 2011 New-York Historical Society logo

Guide to the Records of B. Altman & Co.
1876-1955 (Bulk 1881-1933)
  MS 31

New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024
Phone: (212) 873-3400


@ 2011 New-York Historical Society

Collection processed by Processed by Melissa Haley

This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit on October 19, 2011
Description is in English.

Historical Note

1865 B. Altman & Co. founded by Benjamin Altman as a small dry-goods store at 39 Third Ave., New York City.
c1873 Michael Friedsam, future president, joins B. Altman & Co.
1876 Store moves to 627 Sixth Ave. (at 19th St.); new store known as the "Palace of Trade."
1909 Friedsam becomes Vice President.
1913 Benjamin Altman dies; Friedsam takes over as President of B. Altman & Co. and the Altman Foundation.
1914 Store moves to a twelve-story building on Fifth Ave., between 34th & 35th Streets.
1931 Friedsam dies; John S. Burke succeeds Friedsam as B. Altman & Co. president.
1989 Owner L.J. Hooker Corp. declares bankruptcy; company ceases operations.

(Sources: Encyclopedia of New York;  B. Altman & Co.'s Enlarged Store(1914); Joseph Devorkin,  Great Merchants of Early New York; Robert Hendrickson,  The Grand Emporiums;  New York Times.)