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Famous Department Store
The Famous Department Store was a department store in Los Angeles, California.
Famous had its origins with the Cal Hirsch & Sons Mercantile Co., founded in 1860 or 1871. The business ran Army and Navy surplus stores in St. Louis.
The company opened stores in Los Angeles in 1913 and later moved its headquarters there. It operated the "Army and Navy Store" at 526 South Main Street then in December 1916 moved to a larger space next door, advertised as the "world's largest Army and navy store", at 530-532 South Main Street starting. In 1917, the company advertised another branch store in San Diego.
In 1929, the company opened a location in downtown Long Beach. Morgan, Walls & Clements designed the building, which is now a is a city landmark.
U.S. Hirsch was president of the company during the 1930s. By 1948, Urban Hirsch, Jr. was president.
In 1939, the company took over the vacated Blackstone's Department Store Building at 901 South Broadway and renovated and expanded it to 90,000 square feet (8,400 m2), after which the Main Street store was used mostly as a warehouse. The Broadway store sold men's, women's, and children's clothing, shoes, accessories, furniture, furnishings, and an entire floor was devoted to toys. It also had a beauty shop and lunch counter.
In 1950, the company was sold to the Los Angeles business investment firm J. J. Sugarman Co. for an estimated at $3.5 million ($46.8 million in 2025), which was reported by the Los Angeles Times as "one of the larges mercantile sales of its kind in recent years in California." The company consisted of eight stores at that time.
Advertising for the Famous Department Store ceased in 1952.
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Famous Department Store
The Famous Department Store was a department store in Los Angeles, California.
Famous had its origins with the Cal Hirsch & Sons Mercantile Co., founded in 1860 or 1871. The business ran Army and Navy surplus stores in St. Louis.
The company opened stores in Los Angeles in 1913 and later moved its headquarters there. It operated the "Army and Navy Store" at 526 South Main Street then in December 1916 moved to a larger space next door, advertised as the "world's largest Army and navy store", at 530-532 South Main Street starting. In 1917, the company advertised another branch store in San Diego.
In 1929, the company opened a location in downtown Long Beach. Morgan, Walls & Clements designed the building, which is now a is a city landmark.
U.S. Hirsch was president of the company during the 1930s. By 1948, Urban Hirsch, Jr. was president.
In 1939, the company took over the vacated Blackstone's Department Store Building at 901 South Broadway and renovated and expanded it to 90,000 square feet (8,400 m2), after which the Main Street store was used mostly as a warehouse. The Broadway store sold men's, women's, and children's clothing, shoes, accessories, furniture, furnishings, and an entire floor was devoted to toys. It also had a beauty shop and lunch counter.
In 1950, the company was sold to the Los Angeles business investment firm J. J. Sugarman Co. for an estimated at $3.5 million ($46.8 million in 2025), which was reported by the Los Angeles Times as "one of the larges mercantile sales of its kind in recent years in California." The company consisted of eight stores at that time.
Advertising for the Famous Department Store ceased in 1952.
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