Stanford Shopping Center & Emporium Department Store
Palo Alto, California - late '50s early '60s
Colorful postcard view of the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California (now a Simon mall anchored by Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom and Macy's), with a nice shot of the mall's old Emporium department store facade/entrance as well. Some Wikipedia history notes on the mall's store lineups over the years:
"Macy's California joined the center in 1961 and Saks Fifth Avenue opened a store in 1962. Further expansion came again in 1972 with the addition Los Angeles-based Bullock's, owned by Bloomingdale's parent company Federated Department Stores. Bullock's only lasted eleven years, closing its Northern California stores in 1983 and selling its Stanford location to Nordstrom, which opened in November 1984. Neiman Marcus became the sixth anchor in August 1985.For an added bonus, check out this cool "virtual reality" panorama view of the Stanford Shopping Center.
Saks Fifth Avenue closed their store in 1994 and was replaced by Crate and Barrel and Andronico's food market. By 1995, Federated Department Stores had acquired the Macy's, I. Magnin, and Emporium chains. As part of the company's rationalization, the I. Magnin chain was closed, and the location at Stanford became a separate Macy's Men's Store in 1995. The Emporium store was shuttered and rebranded as Bloomingdale's in November 1996, this being the first northern California location for that division of Federated."
Mall history: 1956 - present
Current website: here
Current aerial view
Info from Wikipedia
Reference links: 1, 2, 3
Previous entries: none
Labels: '50s, '60s, california, Emporium, Palo Alto, Stanford Shopping Center
posted by Keith @ 4/24/2007
10 Comments:
That Emporium logo was very nice indeed.
Wow, is that in Technicolor? Like those old movies where blue eyes glowed?
This is the first time I've seen this shot. Although it's close to another postcard, it's a better view. Love the big E!
Scott
Anyone know what the store to the right of Emporium was?
Steve,
Roos Brothers, one of the originals; sinse gone.
Scott
Given the style of the cars, and the fact that Roos Bros merged with Robert Atkins in 1957 to form Roos/Atkins, I would say this photo dates from 1956 or 1957. Of course, given the weather in Palo Alto, it could be mid-January.
Interesting how Stanford University would need to open a shopping center in order to generate some revenue.
Having visited Stanford Shopping Center many times since way back in the 60's, I have to say it's one of the nicest to visit in the Bay Area.
As a child I used to love going to "Norney's" at Christmas, and seeing all the decorations...
Thanks ! great information
Stanford University shopping Centre
Worked there from 1985-1987
Applied for a job. Started to work when the store opened
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