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Coordinates: 34°03′42″N 118°17′18″W / 34.06161°N 118.28827°W / 34.06161; -118.28827
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| governing_body =
| governing_body =
| designated_other1 = LAHCM
| designated_other1 = LAHCM
| designated_other1_date = 1968-06-15<ref name="LAHCM2">{{cite web |url=http://preservation.lacity.org/monuments |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2011-10-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002104315/http://www.preservation.lacity.org/monuments/ |archivedate=2011-10-02 }}</ref>
| designated_other1_date = 1968-06-15<ref name="LAHCM2">{{cite web |url=http://preservation.lacity.org/monuments |title=Designated Historic-Cultural Monuments &#124; Office of Historic Resources, City of Los Angeles |access-date=2011-10-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002104315/http://www.preservation.lacity.org/monuments/ |archive-date=2011-10-02 }}</ref>
| designated_other1_number = 56
| designated_other1_number = 56
}}
}}


'''Bullocks Wilshire''', located at 3050 [[Wilshire Boulevard]] in [[Los Angeles, California]], is a {{convert|230000|sqft|sing=on}} [[Art Deco]] building. The building opened in September 1929 as a luxury [[department store]] for owner John G. Bullock (owner of the more mainstream [[Bullock's]] in [[Downtown Los Angeles]])<ref>http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/333/</ref>. Bullocks Wilshire was also the name of the department store chain of which the Los Angeles store was the flagship; it had seven stores total; Macy's incorporated them into and rebranded them as [[I. Magnin]] in 1989, before closing I. Magnin entirely in 1994. It is currently owned by [[Southwestern Law School]].
'''Bullocks Wilshire''', located at 3050 [[Wilshire Boulevard]] in [[Los Angeles, California]], is a {{convert|230000|sqft|adj=on}} [[Art Deco]] building. The building opened in September 1929 as a luxury [[department store]] for owner John G. Bullock (owner of the more mainstream [[Bullock's]] in [[Downtown Los Angeles]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/333/|title = PCAD - Bullock's Wilshire Department Store, Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA}}</ref> Bullocks Wilshire was also the name of the department store chain of which the Los Angeles store was the flagship; it had seven stores total; Macy's incorporated them into and rebranded them as [[I. Magnin]] in 1989, before closing I. Magnin entirely in 1994. The building is currently owned by [[Southwestern Law School]].


==History==
==History==


===Design===
===Design===
[[File:Bullock's Department Store on Wilshire Boulevard circa 1936.jpg|thumb|left|Bullocks Wilshire, c. 1936]]
The building was designed by Los Angeles architects [[The Parkinsons|John and Donald Parkinson]];<ref name="Moore">{{cite book|url=|title=The City Observed: Los Angeles; A Guide to its Architecture and Landscapes|last1=Moore|first1=Charles|last2=Becker|first2=Peter|last3=Campbell|first3=Regula|publisher=Vintage Books, a division of [[Random House]]|year=1984|isbn=0-394-72388-0|edition=trade paperback|location=New York|page=147|oclc=}}<!--|accessdate=2009-09-20--></ref> the [[interior design]] was by Eleanor Lemaire and Jock Peters of the Feil & Paradise Company;<ref name="Moore" /> the ceiling [[mural]] of the [[porte-cochère]] was painted by [[Herman Sachs]].<ref name="Moore" />
The building was designed by Los Angeles architects [[The Parkinsons|John and Donald Parkinson]];<ref name="Moore">{{cite book|title=The City Observed: Los Angeles; A Guide to its Architecture and Landscapes|last1=Moore|first1=Charles|last2=Becker|first2=Peter|last3=Campbell|first3=Regula|publisher=Vintage Books, a division of [[Random House]]|year=1984|isbn=0-394-72388-0|edition=trade paperback|location=New York|page=147}}<!--|access-date=2009-09-20--></ref> the [[interior design]] was by Eleanor Lemaire and Jock Peters of the Feil & Paradise Company;<ref name="Moore" /> the ceiling [[mural]] of the [[porte-cochère]] was painted by [[Herman Sachs]].<ref name="Moore" />


====Exterior====
====Exterior====
The exterior is notable for its {{convert|241|ft|sing=on}} tower whose top is sheathed in copper, tarnished green. At one time, the tower peak had a light that could be seen for miles around.
[[File:Bullocks_Wilshire_Building.jpg|thumb|Bullocks Wilshire from the northeast.]]
[[File:Bullocks_Wilshire_Building.jpg|thumb|Bullocks Wilshire from the northeast.]]
The exterior is notable for its {{convert|241|ft|adj=on}} tower whose top is sheathed in copper, tarnished green. At one time, the tower peak had a light that could be seen for miles around. The stylized relief, above the Wilshire Boulevard entrance, was designed by [[George Stanley (sculptor)|George Stanley]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaplan |first=Sam Hall |date=1987-09-05 |title=Music, Architecture Blend in Harmony |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-09-05-vw-1468-story.html |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> designer of the [[Academy Award of Merit|''Oscar'']]. Among the workers laboring on the project may have been Sam Rodia, builder of the [[Watts Towers]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Landler |first1=Edward and Brad Byer |title=I Build the Tower |publisher=Bench Movies |date=2006 |location=Los Angeles |url=https://www.ibuildthetower.com}}</ref>
⚫
Bullocks Wilshire's innovation was that it was one of the first department stores in Los Angeles to cater to the burgeoning automobile culture. It was located in a then-mostly residential district, its objective to attract shoppers who wanted a closer place to shop than Downtown Los Angeles.<ref name="Roderick73">{{cite book |title=Wilshire Boulevard: Grand Concourse of Los Angeles |last1=Roderick |first1=Kevin |last2=Lynxwiler |first2=J. Eric |year= 2005|publisher=Angel City Press |location= |isbn=1-883318-55-6 |page=71 |url= |accessdate=}}</ref> Traditional display windows faced the sidewalk, but they were decorated to catch the eyes of motorists. Since most customers would arrive by vehicle, the most appealing entrance was placed in the rear. Under the city's first department store [[porte-cochère|porte cochere]], [[valet|valets]] in [[livery]] welcomed patrons and parked their cars.<ref name="Roderick73" />
[[File:Bullocks Wilshire Department Store Final Logo.png|thumb|Bullocks Wilshire Logo]]
⚫
Bullocks Wilshire's innovation was that it was one of the first department stores in Los Angeles to cater to the burgeoning automobile culture. It was located in a then-mostly residential district, its objective to attract shoppers who wanted a closer place to shop than Downtown Los Angeles.<ref name="Roderick73">{{cite book |title=Wilshire Boulevard: Grand Concourse of Los Angeles |last1=Roderick |first1=Kevin |last2=Lynxwiler |first2=J. Eric |year= 2005|publisher=Angel City Press |isbn=1-883318-55-6 |page=71 }}</ref> Traditional display windows faced the sidewalk, but they were decorated to catch the eyes of motorists. Since most customers would arrive by vehicle, the most appealing entrance was placed in the rear. Under the city's first department store [[porte-cochère|porte cochere]], [[valet]]s in [[livery]] welcomed patrons and parked their cars.<ref name="Roderick73" />


====Interior====
====Interior====
Line 38: Line 40:


===Clientele and notable employees===
===Clientele and notable employees===
The department store served the upper crust of Los Angeles society. In its heyday, Bullocks Wilshire patrons included [[Mae West]], [[John Wayne]], [[Marlene Dietrich]], [[Joan Crawford]], [[Alfred Hitchcock]], [[Greta Garbo]], [[ZaSu Pitts]],<ref name="Roderick75" /> [[Walt Disney]]<ref>"His wife and daughters found it impossible to buy clothes for him, except for sweaters and handkerchiefs. He preferred to choose his own outfits, and every two years he went to Bullock's Wilshire in Los Angeles and bought a supply." Thomas, Bob. ''Walt Disney: An American Original''. Disney Editions, 1994. p.226. {{ISBN|0-7868-6027-8}}</ref> and [[Clark Gable]]. While struggling to become an actress, a teen-aged [[Angela Lansbury]] worked as a sales clerk.<ref name="Roderick75" /> Future [[First Lady]] [[Pat Nixon|Patricia Nixon]] also served a stint on the floor.<ref name="Roderick75" /> From his studio, next to the [[Chanel]] department, [[Gittings Studios|Neil Gittings]] photographed many celebrities who frequented Bullocks Wilshire.
The department store served the upper crust of Los Angeles society. In its heyday, Bullocks Wilshire patrons included celebrities [[Mae West]], [[John Wayne]], [[Marlene Dietrich]], [[Joan Crawford]], [[Alfred Hitchcock]], [[Greta Garbo]], [[ZaSu Pitts]],<ref name="Roderick75" /> [[Walt Disney]],<ref>"His wife and daughters found it impossible to buy clothes for him, except for sweaters and handkerchiefs. He preferred to choose his own outfits, and every two years he went to Bullock's Wilshire in Los Angeles and bought a supply." Thomas, Bob. ''Walt Disney: An American Original''. Disney Editions, 1994. p.226. {{ISBN|0-7868-6027-8}}</ref> and [[Clark Gable]]. While struggling to become an actress, a teen-aged [[Angela Lansbury]] worked as a sales clerk.<ref name="Roderick75" /> Future [[First Lady]] [[Pat Nixon|Patricia Nixon]] also served a stint on the floor.<ref name="Roderick75" /> From his studio, next to the [[Chanel]] department, [[Gittings Studios|Neil Gittings]] photographed many celebrities who frequented Bullocks Wilshire.


[[File:Bullocks Wilshire, rear.jpg|thumb|left|Bullocks Wilshire south façade]]
[[File:Bullocks Wilshire, rear.jpg|thumb|left|Bullocks Wilshire south façade]]


===Decline===
===Decline===
In the early 70s, this sub-division of Bullock's dropped its apostrophe and began opening separate branch locations so as to separate its decidedly luxury identity from its larger yet more upper-moderate/better parent. Branches were located in [[Palm Springs, California|Palm Springs]] (1947), [[Woodland Hills, Los Angeles|Woodland Hills]] ([[Westfield Promenade|The Promenade]]) (1973; 80,000 square feet), [[Newport Beach, California|Newport Beach]] ([[Fashion Island]]) (1977; 80,000 square feet), [[La Jolla]] (1979), [[Palos Verdes]] (1981), and [[Palm Desert, California|Palm Desert]] (formerly [[Bonwit Teller]]; 1987; 50,000 square feet). The branches of Woodland Hills and Newport Beach were designed by the Los Angeles firm of Welton Becket and Associates. Over the years, a shift by other luxury stores and boutiques to the [[Westside (Los Angeles County)|west side of the city/county]] resulted in the primary Bullocks Wilshire trading area's fall, yet the main store held on as a destination until 1988, when it began its own precipitous decline, hastened under operation by its final owners, [[Macy's]], who had acquired the chain from the [[Campeau Corporation]]. The Wilshire Boulevard store suffered severe damage during the [[Los Angeles riots of 1992]]; [[looters]] broke in and shattered every display case on the first floor.<ref name="Roderick76">Roderick, p. 76</ref> The upper floors were not damaged because fleeing staffers shut off the elevators; the original decision to build the store without [[escalators]] may have actually saved the landmark from ruin. At least three fires were set by [[arson]]ists, but they did not spread.<ref name="Roderick76" /> Bullocks Wilshire finally closed in 1993 with legal battles ensuing as Macy's stripped the store of its historic artifacts, furnishings and fixtures for other locations (bowing to pressure, almost all the 1929 fixtures were returned). Its locations had been converted around 1990 to [[I. Magnin]], a [[San Francisco]]-based luxury chain which in turn was shuttered by [[Federated Department Stores]] in January 1995 upon its acquisition of Macy's.
In the early 1970s, this sub-division of Bullock's dropped its apostrophe and began opening separate branch locations so as to separate its decidedly luxury identity from its larger yet more upper-moderate/better parent. Branches were located in [[Palm Springs, California|Palm Springs]] (1947), [[Woodland Hills, Los Angeles|Woodland Hills]] ([[Westfield Promenade|The Promenade]]) (1973; 80,000 square feet), [[Newport Beach, California|Newport Beach]] ([[Fashion Island]]) (1977; 80,000 square feet), [[La Jolla]] (1979), [[Palos Verdes]] (1981), and [[Palm Desert, California|Palm Desert]] (formerly [[Bonwit Teller]]; 1987; 50,000 square feet). The branches of Woodland Hills and Newport Beach were designed by the Los Angeles firm of Welton Becket and Associates. Over the years, a shift by other luxury stores and boutiques to the [[Westside (Los Angeles County)|west side of the city/county]] resulted in the primary Bullocks Wilshire trading area's fall, yet the main store held on as a destination until 1988, when it began its own precipitous decline, hastened under operation by its final owners, [[Macy's]], who had acquired the chain from the [[Campeau Corporation]]. The Wilshire Boulevard store suffered severe damage during the [[Los Angeles riots of 1992]]; [[looters]] broke in and shattered every display case on the first floor.<ref name="Roderick76">Roderick, p. 76</ref> The upper floors were not damaged because fleeing staffers shut off the elevators; the original decision to build the store without [[escalators]] may have actually saved the landmark from ruin. At least three fires were set by [[arson]]ists, but they did not spread.<ref name="Roderick76" /> Bullocks Wilshire finally closed in 1993 with legal battles ensuing as Macy's stripped the store of its historic artifacts, furnishings and fixtures for other locations (bowing to pressure, almost all the 1929 fixtures were returned). Its locations had been converted around 1990 to [[I. Magnin]], a [[San Francisco]]-based luxury chain which in turn was shuttered by [[Federated Department Stores]] in January 1995 upon its acquisition of Macy's.


===Current use of building===
===Current use of building===
In 1994, the building was acquired by [[Southwestern Law School]], its long-time neighbor. The school restored the building to its original 1929 state, [[adaptive reuse|adapting the building]] for use as an integral part of the school. The building is a historic-cultural monument of the [[Los Angeles, California|City of Los Angeles]], and was listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]] May 25, 1978.
In 1994, the building was acquired by [[Southwestern Law School]], its long-time neighbor. The school restored the building to its original 1929 state, [[adaptive reuse|adapting the building]] for use as an integral part of the school. The building is a historic-cultural monument of the [[Los Angeles, California|City of Los Angeles]], and was listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]] May 25, 1978.


The Southwestern Law School Office of Administrative Services is responsible for all arrangements pertaining to commercial photography and filming on Southwestern's campus and works with [http://www.unreellocations.com Unreel Locations]. Scenes filmed at the building include:
The Southwestern Law School Office of Administrative Services is responsible for all arrangements pertaining to commercial photography and filming on Southwestern's campus and works with [http://www.unreellocations.com Unreel Locations].
* A scene in the 2004 film ''[[The Aviator (2004 film)|The Aviator]]'' was filmed near the entrance
* Featured in the 1996 film ''[[Dunston Checks In]]''
* The mall scenes from 1984's ''[[Night of the Comet]]'' were filmed after hours
* A scene in the season premiere of the second season (episode "Brother, Can You Spare a Blonde?") of ''[[Moonlighting (TV series)|Moonlighting]]''
* Featured setting in ''[[Topper (film)|Topper]]'', a 1937 film starring [[Cary Grant]]
* Featured in [[Aerosmith]]'s 1989 "[[Love in an Elevator]]" video
* [[Public Enemy (band)|Public Enemy]]'s video for "[[Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black|By the Time I Get to Arizona]]" was filmed in front of the school
* Part of the background on the set of ''[[The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien]]''


==Bullocks Wilshire chain==
==Bullocks Wilshire chain==
Bullocks Wilshire was one of the more important divisions of Bullock's, Inc. until it was consolidated into I. Magnin by Macy's in 1989. The division could be traced to the opening of a single luxury branch store of Bullock's in 1929.<ref name=lat-1929sep26>{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/doc/162261403.html |title=Bullock's In Debut Today: New Wilshire Store, Marking Daring Experiment in Merchandising, Ready to Open Doors |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=September 26, 1929 |pages=A1–A2 |last=Whitaker |first=Alma |url-access=subscription |quote=Bullock's Wilshire is a temple to women.}} [http://search.proquest.com/docview/162261403/ Alternate Link]{{subscription}} via [[ProQuest]].</ref> In 1968, The Bullock's store in Palm Springs (built in 1947) was transferred to the control of Bullock's Wilshire to be its first branch store.<ref name=wwd-1968feb23>{{cite news |title=Features: Palm Springs Now 'Wilshire' |newspaper=[[Women's Wear Daily]] |date=February 23, 1968 |page=7 |volume=116 |issue=38 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |quote=Bullock's has confirmed it has changed the name of its Palm Springs operation to Bullock's Wilshire," but company president Walter Bergquist said there are no present plans to change other stores to that name.}} [http://search.proquest.com/docview/1565011894/ Link]{{subscription}} via [[ProQuest]].</ref> Four years later, in 1972, Bullock's Wilshire store was separated from Bullock's as a separate division with its own, president, chairman, buyers and staff with Walter Bergquist, former president of Bullock's, assigned as the division's first president.<ref name=wwd-1972feb02>{{cite news |title=Bullock's Wilshire Now A Separate Business |newspaper=[[Women's Wear Daily]] |date=February 2, 1972 |page=50 |volume=124 |issue=23 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |quote=Bullock's Inc., has taken the wraps off an expansion program which has long been the subject of speculation along the retail front. It includes development of Bullock's Wilshire as a separate business, with its own growth program, and addition of new Bullock's units. Word of these developments came from Weston P. Figgins, chairman. and Howard Goldfeder, president. Both declined to expand on a terse bulletin. Bullock's Wilshire, which has long operated as an autonomous entity under the Bullock's management wing, now will function on its own with additional units carrying Bullock's Wilshire merchandise. Goldfeder succeeded Walter Bergquist as Bullock's president. Bergquist was shifted to the new post of president, Bullock's Wilshire, a step which tended to substantiate speculation relative to possible growth of the autonomous store which also operates Bullock's unit in Palm Springs. Bullock's. Inc., operates 10 stores.}} [http://search.proquest.com/docview/1523581721/ Link]{{subscription}} via [[ProQuest]].</ref>
Bullocks Wilshire was one of the more important divisions of Bullock's, Inc. until it was consolidated into I. Magnin by Macy's in 1989. The division could be traced to the opening of a single luxury branch store of Bullock's in 1929.<ref name=lat-1929sep26>{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/162261403 |title=Bullock's In Debut Today: New Wilshire Store, Marking Daring Experiment in Merchandising, Ready to Open Doors |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=September 26, 1929 |pages=A1–A2 |last=Whitaker |first=Alma |url-access=subscription |quote=Bullock's Wilshire is a temple to women. |access-date=April 30, 2019 |archive-date=March 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318090205/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/doc/162261403.html |url-status=live }} [http://search.proquest.com/docview/162261403/ Alternate Link]{{subscription required}} via [[ProQuest]].</ref> In 1968, The Bullock's store in Palm Springs (built in 1947) was transferred to the control of Bullock's Wilshire to be its first branch store.<ref name=wwd-1968feb23>{{cite news |title=Features: Palm Springs Now 'Wilshire' |newspaper=[[Women's Wear Daily]] |date=February 23, 1968 |page=7 |volume=116 |issue=38 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |quote=Bullock's has confirmed it has changed the name of its Palm Springs operation to Bullock's Wilshire," but company president Walter Bergquist said there are no present plans to change other stores to that name.}} [http://search.proquest.com/docview/1565011894/ Link]{{subscription required}} via [[ProQuest]].</ref> Four years later, in 1972, Bullock's Wilshire store was separated from Bullock's as a separate division with its own, president, chairman, buyers and staff with Walter Bergquist, former president of Bullock's, assigned as the division's first president.<ref name=wwd-1972feb02>{{cite news |title=Bullock's Wilshire Now A Separate Business |newspaper=[[Women's Wear Daily]] |date=February 2, 1972 |page=50 |volume=124 |issue=23 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |quote=Bullock's Inc., has taken the wraps off an expansion program which has long been the subject of speculation along the retail front. It includes development of Bullock's Wilshire as a separate business, with its own growth program, and addition of new Bullock's units. Word of these developments came from Weston P. Figgins, chairman. and Howard Goldfeder, president. Both declined to expand on a terse bulletin. Bullock's Wilshire, which has long operated as an autonomous entity under the Bullock's management wing, now will function on its own with additional units carrying Bullock's Wilshire merchandise. Goldfeder succeeded Walter Bergquist as Bullock's president. Bergquist was shifted to the new post of president, Bullock's Wilshire, a step which tended to substantiate speculation relative to possible growth of the autonomous store which also operates Bullock's unit in Palm Springs. Bullock's. Inc., operates 10 stores.}} [http://search.proquest.com/docview/1523581721/ Link]{{subscription required}} via [[ProQuest]].</ref>


===Bullocks Wilshire locations===
===Bullocks Wilshire locations===
Line 68: Line 62:
* Newport Beach ([[Fashion Island]]), opened August 1, 1977 – razed, now site of [[Nordstrom]]
* Newport Beach ([[Fashion Island]]), opened August 1, 1977 – razed, now site of [[Nordstrom]]
* [[La Jolla Village Square]], San Diego, opened August 20, 1979
* [[La Jolla Village Square]], San Diego, opened August 20, 1979
* Palos Verdes ([[Rolling Hills Estates, California|Rolling Hills Estates]]), (The Courtyard, now [[Promenade on the Peninsula]]), opened September 28, 1981 – now individual retail stores and cinema
* Palos Verdes ([[Rolling Hills Estates, California|Rolling Hills Estates]]), (The Courtyard, now [[Promenade on the Peninsula]]), opened September 28, 1981 – now individual retail stores and cinema
* [[Westfield Palm Desert|Palm Desert Town Center]], opened February 7, 1987
* [[Westfield Palm Desert|Palm Desert Town Center]], opened February 7, 1987
* Bullocks Lakewood Center- razed- Now a Home Depot
==Appearances in media==
* ''Visiting... with [[Huell Howser]]'' Episode 810<ref>{{cite web |title=Bullocks Tea Room – Visiting (810) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University |url=https://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/2017/03/03/bullocks-tea-room-visiting-810/}}</ref>
* ''[[Love in an Elevator]]'' [[music video]] by [[Aerosmith]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Bennett Rylah |first=Juliet |title=Once A Luxury Department Store, The Bullocks Wilshire Opens For A Public Tour This Month |url=https://laist.com/news/entertainment/wilshire-bullocks |website=LAist |access-date= October 27, 2024 |date=July 11, 2015}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 92: Line 91:
{{Macy's history}}
{{Macy's history}}
{{History of Retail in Southern California}}
{{History of Retail in Southern California}}

[[Category:Art Deco architecture in California]]
[[Category:Art Deco architecture in California]]
[[Category:John and Donald Parkinson buildings]]
[[Category:John and Donald Parkinson buildings]]
Line 97: Line 97:
[[Category:Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Defunct department stores based in Greater Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Defunct department stores based in the City of Los Angeles]]
[[Category:History of Los Angeles]]
[[Category:History of Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Commercial buildings completed in 1929]]
[[Category:Commercial buildings completed in 1929]]

Latest revision as of 03:55, 27 October 2024

Bullocks Wilshire
Bullocks Wilshire looking east
Location3050 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, California, United States
Coordinates34°03′42″N 118°17′18″W / 34.06161°N 118.28827°W / 34.06161; -118.28827
Built1929
ArchitectJohn and Donald Parkinson
Architectural styleArt Deco
NRHP reference No.78000685
LAHCM No.56
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 25, 1978
Designated LAHCM1968-06-15[1]

Bullocks Wilshire, located at 3050 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, is a 230,000-square-foot (21,000 m2) Art Deco building. The building opened in September 1929 as a luxury department store for owner John G. Bullock (owner of the more mainstream Bullock's in Downtown Los Angeles).[2] Bullocks Wilshire was also the name of the department store chain of which the Los Angeles store was the flagship; it had seven stores total; Macy's incorporated them into and rebranded them as I. Magnin in 1989, before closing I. Magnin entirely in 1994. The building is currently owned by Southwestern Law School.

History

[edit]

Design

[edit]
Bullocks Wilshire, c. 1936

The building was designed by Los Angeles architects John and Donald Parkinson;[3] the interior design was by Eleanor Lemaire and Jock Peters of the Feil & Paradise Company;[3] the ceiling mural of the porte-cochère was painted by Herman Sachs.[3]

Exterior

[edit]
Bullocks Wilshire from the northeast.

The exterior is notable for its 241-foot (73 m) tower whose top is sheathed in copper, tarnished green. At one time, the tower peak had a light that could be seen for miles around. The stylized relief, above the Wilshire Boulevard entrance, was designed by George Stanley,[4] designer of the Oscar. Among the workers laboring on the project may have been Sam Rodia, builder of the Watts Towers.[5]

Bullocks Wilshire Logo

Bullocks Wilshire's innovation was that it was one of the first department stores in Los Angeles to cater to the burgeoning automobile culture. It was located in a then-mostly residential district, its objective to attract shoppers who wanted a closer place to shop than Downtown Los Angeles.[6] Traditional display windows faced the sidewalk, but they were decorated to catch the eyes of motorists. Since most customers would arrive by vehicle, the most appealing entrance was placed in the rear. Under the city's first department store porte cochere, valets in livery welcomed patrons and parked their cars.[6]

Interior

[edit]

Shoppers entered the foyer which had travertine floors and elevators finished in nickel, brass, and gunmetal.

Lobby elevator door

On the first floor was the vaulted Perfume Hall, awash in natural light muted by walls of St. Genevieve marble.[6] Other floors displayed clothes and accessories in low glass cases on rosewood stands or on live mannequins, to prevent hanging racks from cluttering sight lines. Upstairs showrooms and salons functioned almost as discrete boutiques. The Louis XVI Room sold designer dresses, the Directoire formal wear and later furs. Later still came the couture Chanel Room and the Irene Salon, enclave of future Hollywood costume designer Irene Lentz, reputed to be the first boutique devoted to a single designer inside a major U.S. department store. Lentz designed custom wardrobe for celebrities, leading to a career in design at major film studios, including MGM. Other departments included toys, a mezzanine Doggery for canine accessories, and the city's first leisurewear merchandise on the Playdeck.[7] The women's shoe salon was paneled with the wood from a single Central American tree. Cork in exotic shades lined the walls in the furs atelier. The Saddle Shop featured vermillion floor tiles, wall cases of deep red oak, and a life-size plaster likeness of a horse, Bullock's Barney.[6]

Recessed ceiling and light fixture

For refreshment, there was a top-floor desert-themed tearoom and the adjoining lounge where society women gathered for luncheon fashion shows. Truly elite service was reserved for the selected men invited to shop in the privacy of J.G. Bullock's wood-paneled private suite on the fifth floor. Titans of business and politics relaxed over cocktails and hors d'oeuvres as sales associates modeled potential gifts.[8]

Clientele and notable employees

[edit]

The department store served the upper crust of Los Angeles society. In its heyday, Bullocks Wilshire patrons included celebrities Mae West, John Wayne, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Alfred Hitchcock, Greta Garbo, ZaSu Pitts,[8] Walt Disney,[9] and Clark Gable. While struggling to become an actress, a teen-aged Angela Lansbury worked as a sales clerk.[8] Future First Lady Patricia Nixon also served a stint on the floor.[8] From his studio, next to the Chanel department, Neil Gittings photographed many celebrities who frequented Bullocks Wilshire.

Bullocks Wilshire south façade

Decline

[edit]

In the early 1970s, this sub-division of Bullock's dropped its apostrophe and began opening separate branch locations so as to separate its decidedly luxury identity from its larger yet more upper-moderate/better parent. Branches were located in Palm Springs (1947), Woodland Hills (The Promenade) (1973; 80,000 square feet), Newport Beach (Fashion Island) (1977; 80,000 square feet), La Jolla (1979), Palos Verdes (1981), and Palm Desert (formerly Bonwit Teller; 1987; 50,000 square feet). The branches of Woodland Hills and Newport Beach were designed by the Los Angeles firm of Welton Becket and Associates. Over the years, a shift by other luxury stores and boutiques to the west side of the city/county resulted in the primary Bullocks Wilshire trading area's fall, yet the main store held on as a destination until 1988, when it began its own precipitous decline, hastened under operation by its final owners, Macy's, who had acquired the chain from the Campeau Corporation. The Wilshire Boulevard store suffered severe damage during the Los Angeles riots of 1992; looters broke in and shattered every display case on the first floor.[10] The upper floors were not damaged because fleeing staffers shut off the elevators; the original decision to build the store without escalators may have actually saved the landmark from ruin. At least three fires were set by arsonists, but they did not spread.[10] Bullocks Wilshire finally closed in 1993 with legal battles ensuing as Macy's stripped the store of its historic artifacts, furnishings and fixtures for other locations (bowing to pressure, almost all the 1929 fixtures were returned). Its locations had been converted around 1990 to I. Magnin, a San Francisco-based luxury chain which in turn was shuttered by Federated Department Stores in January 1995 upon its acquisition of Macy's.

Current use of building

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In 1994, the building was acquired by Southwestern Law School, its long-time neighbor. The school restored the building to its original 1929 state, adapting the building for use as an integral part of the school. The building is a historic-cultural monument of the City of Los Angeles, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places May 25, 1978.

The Southwestern Law School Office of Administrative Services is responsible for all arrangements pertaining to commercial photography and filming on Southwestern's campus and works with Unreel Locations.

Bullocks Wilshire chain

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Bullocks Wilshire was one of the more important divisions of Bullock's, Inc. until it was consolidated into I. Magnin by Macy's in 1989. The division could be traced to the opening of a single luxury branch store of Bullock's in 1929.[11] In 1968, The Bullock's store in Palm Springs (built in 1947) was transferred to the control of Bullock's Wilshire to be its first branch store.[12] Four years later, in 1972, Bullock's Wilshire store was separated from Bullock's as a separate division with its own, president, chairman, buyers and staff with Walter Bergquist, former president of Bullock's, assigned as the division's first president.[13]

Bullocks Wilshire locations

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Source: Bullock's Department Store by Devin T. Frick

Appearances in media

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Designated Historic-Cultural Monuments | Office of Historic Resources, City of Los Angeles". Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
  2. ^ "PCAD - Bullock's Wilshire Department Store, Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA".
  3. ^ a b c Moore, Charles; Becker, Peter; Campbell, Regula (1984). The City Observed: Los Angeles; A Guide to its Architecture and Landscapes (trade paperback ed.). New York: Vintage Books, a division of Random House. p. 147. ISBN 0-394-72388-0.
  4. ^ Kaplan, Sam Hall (1987-09-05). "Music, Architecture Blend in Harmony". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  5. ^ Landler, Edward and Brad Byer (2006). "I Build the Tower". Los Angeles: Bench Movies.
  6. ^ a b c d Roderick, Kevin; Lynxwiler, J. Eric (2005). Wilshire Boulevard: Grand Concourse of Los Angeles. Angel City Press. p. 71. ISBN 1-883318-55-6.
  7. ^ Roderick, p. 71
  8. ^ a b c d Roderick, p. 75
  9. ^ "His wife and daughters found it impossible to buy clothes for him, except for sweaters and handkerchiefs. He preferred to choose his own outfits, and every two years he went to Bullock's Wilshire in Los Angeles and bought a supply." Thomas, Bob. Walt Disney: An American Original. Disney Editions, 1994. p.226. ISBN 0-7868-6027-8
  10. ^ a b Roderick, p. 76
  11. ^ Whitaker, Alma (September 26, 1929). "Bullock's In Debut Today: New Wilshire Store, Marking Daring Experiment in Merchandising, Ready to Open Doors". Los Angeles Times. pp. A1–A2. Archived from the original on March 18, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2019. Bullock's Wilshire is a temple to women. Alternate Link(subscription required) via ProQuest.
  12. ^ "Features: Palm Springs Now 'Wilshire'". Women's Wear Daily. Vol. 116, no. 38. February 23, 1968. p. 7. Bullock's has confirmed it has changed the name of its Palm Springs operation to Bullock's Wilshire," but company president Walter Bergquist said there are no present plans to change other stores to that name. Link(subscription required) via ProQuest.
  13. ^ "Bullock's Wilshire Now A Separate Business". Women's Wear Daily. Vol. 124, no. 23. February 2, 1972. p. 50. Bullock's Inc., has taken the wraps off an expansion program which has long been the subject of speculation along the retail front. It includes development of Bullock's Wilshire as a separate business, with its own growth program, and addition of new Bullock's units. Word of these developments came from Weston P. Figgins, chairman. and Howard Goldfeder, president. Both declined to expand on a terse bulletin. Bullock's Wilshire, which has long operated as an autonomous entity under the Bullock's management wing, now will function on its own with additional units carrying Bullock's Wilshire merchandise. Goldfeder succeeded Walter Bergquist as Bullock's president. Bergquist was shifted to the new post of president, Bullock's Wilshire, a step which tended to substantiate speculation relative to possible growth of the autonomous store which also operates Bullock's unit in Palm Springs. Bullock's. Inc., operates 10 stores. Link(subscription required) via ProQuest.
  14. ^ "Bullocks Tea Room – Visiting (810) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University".
  15. ^ Bennett Rylah, Juliet (July 11, 2015). "Once A Luxury Department Store, The Bullocks Wilshire Opens For A Public Tour This Month". LAist. Retrieved October 27, 2024.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bullocks Wilshire.
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