Comments on: May Company Christmas, South Los Angeles, CA, 1949

By: Tom Maddux

Tom Maddux — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:29:59 +0000

Some of the above posters do not seem to be aware that the May Company had several stores in the Los Angeles area. The one in the picture is definitely the May Company Crenshaw store.

As a young child I can remember driving past this store while it was under construction. When it was finished my mother got a job there and worked for the May Company for the next 20 years, until her death. BTW, they were good to her in her final months.

I have many, many memories of going down to this store for my mom to buy me clothes on her 20% employee discount. Early on, we would ride the street car down through Leimert Park to Santa Barbara to get there. Eating at the Ontra Cafeteria down the steet a little way was a big deal too. I bought my first “English Racer” bicycle there. My mom helped me with her discount. That was about 1955.

Later on it was a big deal to drive the family car there with my dad to pick her up. I began that on my learner’s permit. The store began to stay open till 9:00 pm on Thursdays and Fridays about 1953.

On other memory is that in the early days there was a coffee shop up front facing Crenshaw. I was a big deal to meet Mom there for lunch. I could get a “chocolate coke” there. Today I wouldn’t touch such a concoction, but then it was hot stuff.

By: enhager

enhager — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 18:49:24 +0000

Hello all – I’m doing a story about Santa Barbara Plaza in the Crenwshaw/Leimert Park/Baldwin Hills area. I would love for you to hear about your memories of the area – an historical record is hard to come by – so you are the history teachers for this. I’m the creator of http://www.LeimertParkBeat.com and you can contact me through that site. thanks – and thanks to Charles for sharing such great stuff.

By: Brenda

Brenda — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:12:31 +0000

OOPS!!!!!!! I would like to make a correction on my previous post. I was not 10 y/o in 1957. I was seven. Sorry.

By: Brenda

Brenda — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:11:00 +0000

This reply is in response to the December 10, 2009 post from Rosenda. I remember shopping at that shopping center. The first time I ever went there was in 1957 when our parents would take us to see the decorated department store windows at Christmas. I was probably 10 years old and even though I was born and raised in L.A., had never been to that part of town. Boy, was I impressed! The shopping center was so “California suburban”. I remember on the north side of Santa Barbara Avenue, there was an Ortho Mattress Store, Lindberg Nutrition that had a lunch counter where I had my first Veggie Burger, JJ Newberry and on the south side of Santa Barbara Avenue was The Broadway Dept. Store that did, indeed have a liquor dept. and the most beautiful women’s restroom on the 3rd floor that rivaled the women’s restroom at the May Co. Downtown. There was a FW Woolworth, Leed’s Shoe Store, Lerner Shops (remember that?), Gudes-Barnett Shoes and Ontra’s Cafeteria. Across the parking lot and along Santa Barbara Avenue was a Bank of America (or was it Security Pacific National Bank), Sav-On Drug Store, Thom McAn Shoes, Sylvia Stevens Boutique, Singer Sewing Machines and i’m sure a couple more than escape me. I remember on the south side of the parking lot was Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream, Mondello’s Shoe Repair, IHOP, which is still there today and the coolest Mobil Gas Station EVER!! Remember the one on the corner of Santa Rosalia and Marlton? They tore it down to replace it with a restaurant that never took off and stayed vacant for over 20 years. What a waste. I really miss that lifestyle…dept. stores and such. I can’t believe that it has all been replaced with what is there now. My feeling is if you’ve been to one mall in So. Cal, you’ve been to them all. No choices in shopping these days. Not to mention that they have taken those jewels and replaced and altered them as they have. I say bring back the old department store/ shopping center experience. It is so important to maintain the integrity in things.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:44:10 +0000

Opened in 1947, this is the May Company where Bette Davis’ character worked in the 1952 movie THE STAR. She plays a washed-up movie star who takes a job at the May Company after being arrested for drunk driving. Working in the lingerie department, she overhears two old ladies clucking how disgraceful it is that a store of ‘this caliber’ would employ a woman of such poor moral character. Davis tells them off, grabs her purse, and goes stomping down the escalator and out the door. Luckily for us, neither May Co nor Macy’s has ever seen fit to remodel the interior of this store, so you too can still stomp down the Bette Davis Escalator at May’s Crenshaw.

By: Randy

Randy — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:16:54 +0000

About the founding year of Macy’s, it was actually 1858. Last year’s ads commemorated Macy’s 150th anniversary. Ironically, Rowland Hussey Macy died in Paris the same year the May Department Stores Company was founded (1877). Paris is the ‘birthplace’ of the department store with Le Bon Marche, which I visited last year as well as Printemps, Galeries Lafayette, and Bazar de l’Hotel de Ville (BHV).

By: Henrik Eskilsson

Henrik Eskilsson — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:37:01 +0000

Aww, what a nice picture though! I’m a long-time follower, I just wish you’d have larger photos. When you describe them, you see much more detail than is revealed even in the web version! I have a thing for getting lost in photos of yesteryear, and would love to revel in photos of sunny America…

Frosty greetings (as in -17 Celsius and piles of crystal snow, no kidding!) from Sweden

By: Ralph

Ralph — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:23:08 +0000

Just a comment regarding the street and island layout of then and now. They were clearly much more pedestrian and public transportation oriented. Those traffic islands look to be practically fortified for the protection of weary and wary walkers. Also the corner entrance is non-existent. Clearly, only the ‘undesirable’ would enter from the street!

By: Susan

Susan — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:43:15 +0000

You, of course, are so right. I knew the building didn’t look exactly the same but I thought it was before all the blandishments were attached. I didn’t even know there was a May Co. in that area. It does look kind of similar though…mainly because they are both on a northeast corner. Thanks for the correction.
Still a great fan,
Susan

By: Joey

Joey — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:19:30 +0000

Please people!

However well intentioned you may be, this is the old May Co. Dept Store on Crenshaw, now Macy’s. However much the image may resemble it, if you would observe more carefully, the old May Co. Building on Wilshire which is indeed now, LACMA West, has a gold tile mosiac streamline- moderne facade anchoring it’s corner (which has been recently refurbished)as well as additional side windows.

Charles Phoenix knows his stuff.
Thanks you, Charles.