everyone here has a fond memory of a company by the name of jordan marsh not only was it a dry goods store founded an eight hundred fifty one but by the twentieth century it was a mainstay in boston's life and the whole concept was it wasn't just people that lived in boston it was people that came from the countryside such as belmont they would go into boston and they would actually see a department store that evolved into the lodges building in boston by the period of one nine hundred twenty five five acres of display space incredible but it was also something that was a mainstay in the city of what was the to evolve from a dry goods store and seen here in a postcard of about one nine hundred twenty jordan marsh was on the right hand side and it was not just an anchor at the corner what was basically washington and of course some are strange but it was one of at least a dozen stores and you might remember them  h white conrad and chandler c crawford haulage kennedys each of these stores offered a specialty but they could never compare to drop in marsh now in the period of the nineteenth century you had to realize that jordan marsh itself was actually founded by two men eben daya jordan seen here and his partner benjamin lloyd marsh they themselves had actually been men that actually kept dry goods stores on hanover street in boston's north end and during the period of eighteen forty one each of them would open a store but in eight hundred fifty one they sold their shares in their individual stores and joined forces and they've started jordan marsh and company that small little store  boston snow event itself would actually be at the corner of hanover a mechanic street today it's a very popular italian restaurant but there they actually had begun and where they would actually parlay hard work drive and determination into one of the most profitable stores of mid nineteenth century boston well during that period of time they would actually move to a new store that was on washington street at the corner of avon place now looking at this building it was designed  bradley probably one of the best known architects in mid nineteenth century boston the building itself had been built for the warren company but during the period of the eighteen six days a warren company had fallen on hard times and jordan marsh bought the structure and they would actually created in such a way as their new store this was the third incarnation and by the period of eight hundred eighty two on the right hand side they would add what was called the tower building but jordan marsh itself in that period of time was not only a well known company but their tawa building was something that really solidified their base and scene here with washington street and avon place that would later be renamed avon street this was a building that not only had a clock at the very top always a great photo pedestrians but it had two story plate glass windows where people would actually see a lot of models actually showing the latest paris london or even berlin fashions and during the period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century this was something that offered something unique to the shoppers of boston because when they arrived in town what they began to look at was what was offering and seen here in a group of postcards jordan marsh was something a lot of ways that began to offer personalized service there were dozens of clerks that would go the gamut from shirts stays gloves and hats but seen here this was actually the glove department when them would arrive on the right hand side you see small little stool they'd be seated at the counter and they would say they wish to specific pair of gloves it might be a risk l elbow length or even arm length and might be kid glove or it might be a certain leather it might be a specific color jordan marsh had all of the things people wanted gloves are an important feature but so to wear and as you see here men's shirts and liberates this was something that a lot of ways if you look closely at the postcard you see dozens of men in the background not only did people actually see ready made suits something that was novel and would nineteenth century because basically they'd be made and of variety of sizes but they'd also in some ways be something that simply had to have five of the cuffs of the trousers altered but here you began to realize that it wasn't just suits but it went the gamut including men's shirts and that instance they had dozens of sizes dozens of colors and a variety of fabrics you also began to see here the shirts that i just mentioned the shirts themselves w just played they were made in not only a variety of cotton linens but they always had a detachable color and in that instance you might have a rounded color or a point color or a windsor color but you could actually provide it with the shirt of choice and fabric and then of course match it with a tie in that instance all of these individual things were an important feature and people began to realize that clothing would go the gamut from not just men's and women's and children's but a whole variety of outfits jury in the period of the latter part of the nineteenth century jordan matia also began to actually offer things for household goods and in one thousand and eleven they would build what was called the annex that was on the other side of avon street it was nine stories and height not only provided all sorts of home furnishings but there were even things such as pottery departments and seen here people could actually go in and simply select maybe an umbrella stand or a vase or something that could then be made into a lamp it was an important feature because with the rising middle class jordan's was now beginning to wall for throughout that period of the eighteen eighties right through to the  forty s personalize custom care that you too could actually furnish your home with not only beautiful things but also things that had come from jordan marsh another aspect was they sponsored our show beginning in the eighteen eighties eben jordan himself was someone who patronize many young artists in the boston area he encouraged them not only to display their work things that they could actually show and win an award for but it was also something that brought in some ways people to jordan marsh to see if they aren't show the odd show itself went the gamut there were some extremely well known artists drawn and a king wall to land sell and many other boston artist but seen here the ark gallery itself would have ready framed pieces that you too could then purchase and take home to decorate your home and that way jordan's was offering a variety of ways to entice the shopper to come to jordan marsh and hopefully not just purchase a piece of pottery or a painting but maybe even stop and make another purchase on the way out one of the other things the jordans had with these exotic departments such as the oriental rug department and seen here this was a little magical room that had normally more of design and lanterns but it was a place where people could sit and have the rugs unfurled many people purchase the oriental rugs from jordan marsh that were imported from the middle east throughout the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth century and seen here this couple who stream really well dressed would actually see these rugs in such a way as that they too could actually decorate their home with them well during the period many people who were going to town had to realize that it wasn't just an easy aspect but it was sometimes a long trip if one went to boston for shopping you might take the street car you might take the train might be anywhere from a half hour to two hours to get into boston and once you arrived it might have been for a specific errand or it might have been simply to the browse the shops but jordans began to realize that the women of boston and the surrounding areas began to look at jordan's as well as all the stores in the city as a place that they could go and not only shop but also they wanted them to have a place to rest and seen here this was actually the ladies parlor and the ladies parlor was actually sixty by sixty feet it had desks with stationery as well as basically reclining chairs as even wicker chairs and it was beautifully decorated but it was a place where you could meet family and friends while you were in town and send a note to say to people i will be here next tuesday meet me in the ladies parlor and in that way it was something that was not just convenient but it often people a place to not only stop check their packages but also in some ways to rest well during that period many people were to work up a small appetite maybe you remember the red lantern restaurant that was in the basement of jordan marsh but in the early part of the twentieth century the red lantern was originally the soda fountain and seen here in a postcard of  five the soda fountain which was this wonderful counter of white marble was a place where not only you could get enough of s and drink but even a dish of ice cream and it was something that was very pleasant but it was also something you began to realize that department stores were beginning not just to cater to the public with all sorts of different varieties of goods but also offering them such things as tea rooms coffee rooms and also ice cream and soda fountain but the period of the last decade of the nineteenth century jordan l'arche had expanded tremendously having been founded in eight hundred fifty one it was among the older of the dry goods stores in boston but they also began to realize that not everyone the ability to get into boston to do shopping and in the period of the eighteen eighties have been jordan began to publish what he called a wish book and the wish book was truly a catalog of all of the things that were available at jordan marsh and if one had not the ability to get into town one could order it and it would be delivered to you and seen here in the fall of eight hundred ninety and the winter and spring of eight hundred ninety one the cover of it showed not only the building called the tower building in the very center but around it the building on milk street which was in one thousand and fifty one mechanics in hanover beginning in one nine hundred forty one and down below the washington street building and then winthrop square each of these buildings had evolved into the major jordan minor still is seen on the cover but these wish books themselves were filled to the brim they had clothing that women could choose  from a variety of styles as well as a variety of fabrics and of course it all depended on what one chose for the price i love them because they actually show in this instance models who have the latest style and it really was a style to have a derriere that size was something a lot of ways that was portrayed with boston in the distance and as you can see the alinta and street church as well as the bridal square later first baptist church o boston spires but the back bay itself and this is actually taken in the public garden showed a variety of styles that was something that appealed to the public and beginning in the eighteen nine days these catalogs themselves would really go the gamut and if one shows a simple fabric the dress might be four dollars but if it was made of damask a silk it could even be as much as twenty five dollars a tremendous sum of money but imported fabric was something that many people chose you could all so purchase a bicycle suit because albert pope had now begun to introduce the columbia bicycle in boston and in the latter part of the nineteenth century the bicycle craze took and albert pope himself was someone who had a factory in boston southend and not only did you ride a bicycle but you had to have special clothes for it and in this instance the women could choose the bicycles suit made of wool at four dollars and seventy five cents and not only enjoy a ride but be fashionable as well but the catalogs themselves would also have a plethora of items on the interior and they went the gamut as i mentioned of clothing and fabric some things about saw it but they also had things such as picnic baskets and seen here this one page shows forward different picnic baskets with plates cups and salsas cutlery as well as of course different sizes and they went the gamut from a dollar twenty five up to a grand sum of six dollars but it was something that allowed people to actually begin to use with the ascendancy of the automobile because the automobile now allowed people to take a ride to the countryside and a picnic basket fit the bill you also began to realize the jordan monash was someone who was expanding business not just through their individual catalogs that by nine hundred was sent to over one hundred thousand homes in the boston area but they also extended credit credit was one of the major factors to increase the sales of jordan marsh and beginning in eight seventy nine eben diet jordan began to offer credit to select customers and it wasn't a credit card it was a credit token and the token was about the size of one's thumb made of white metal and it had a number that number was then assigned to the customer and the customer would bring this with them be placed into a small machine that would then simply be moved across to actually record the number and the credit was six months o free interest but after six months that was one and a quarter percent interest for the next remaining period this was one of the most important features because by this time jordan's was gross saying over twenty million dollars credit was something that expanded it but one of the things about jordan marsh was they said that they were the mercantile heart of new england and seen here in this postcard with a map of new england  marcia's within a red heart so it wasn't just the mercantile heart of new england it became the beloved store of new england because people looked at it as an important feature well the catalogs themselves continued and many people would purchase either in person or by the catalog but if it was to lodge to carry it could be shipped in jordan marsh began with horses and carriages that would actually be delivering on a daily basis in and around the boston area by parcel post and rural road but by nineteen fifteen they replace their one hundred forty five horses that were kept in a stable on harrison avenue in boston with motorized delivery trucks seen here these two men take pieces of probably case furniture off the back of the truck to be delivered to the person who i've ordered it in person or through the catalogue and in that instance these deliveries took place daily in and around the boston area and on a daily basis once a week further afield but it was an important way to realize that eben jordan himself had made this company into something that was dog just a profitable concern but it was also something a lot of ways that became in some ways a beloved tradition he himself would die in eight hundred ninety five and his only son eben diet jordan jr who actually was graduated from harvard and eight hundred seventy one would actually become a partner upon his father's death he himself became the president and like his father he was a hands on president of dr marsh but he had an assistant by the name of george mitten and the mitten family would eventually become the presidents of jordan marsh after eben dyer jordan jr was deaf in one nine hundred sixteen but during that period you began to see this man beginning to introduce in some ways all of the new aspects of department store shopping not only with a lovely buildings beautifully decorated carpeted ladies sitting room was retiring room as a restaurant but it was also the fact he began to offer to his employees things such as breast house which were opened in wrentham massachusetts one for men and one for women many employees that work six days a week and stood for the forty hours that they were employed became tired and they were sent to these rest homes with fresh eggs and fresh milk and of course two weeks of rest he introduced not only vacation time maternity leave but also a pension plan and during that period you began to realize that not only he bought his associate who was a vice president mr mytton would created in such a way that it became a very profitable concern he also expanded business and though the building itself was at washington an avon street the building at the corner of summer and washington street which is the center and here was actually a company known as abraham schumann and company and the area that we call downtown boston today was originally called schumann's corner abraham schumann was a jew from germany he had come to this country in eighteen forty eight and stopped at a small clothing store  and by the period of the eighteen eighties he had done extremely well and he had a company that provided ready made suits for a gentleman this was something that really was unusual because most people in the nineteenth century would actually have a tailor either do a dress or a suit but abraham schumann made them in various sizes in various materials so that one could simply go away and with slight alterations have a new piece of clothing and they went the gamut from six up to twenty five dollars and they were very expensive in some ways but after his death and he lived in boston's back bay his family sold the business and the building to jordan marsh so by this point they had the entire block of summer washington avon street and chauncey street and at that point jordan marsh itself was something that was not only a lodge concern but probably the law just department store on the east coast except for macy's and seen here mr mytton him self was someone who eventually after one nine hundred sixteen would become president of jordan marsh and he along with his brother and then his son will continue the business until nine hundred sixty two but the surprising thing was during this period of time eben daya jordan jr wanted to continue the things that his father a done and of course the cow analogs or wish books were major features at least forty to fifty percent of the overall business sales came from a mail order and he wanted to actually do it in such a way that these were things that applied to people and made something unusual interesting i mentioned the ascendancy of the automobile by the period of nineteen zero five to nine hundred ten at least fifteen to twenty percent of the population had an automobile and of course they were something that were really quite unique but seen here this was a motor apparel wish book and it was something that showed the front end of an automobile of course we're all too young to remember when automobiles didn't have heat but of course if you had a chauffeur you would want him to be warm so in this instance you had a gentleman's and chauffeurs fur and fur aligned coats and this was something that was really quite unusual imagine wearing something of this sort and trying to drive but it was also something that you saw that it was a raccoon lined coat it also had dog fur and they also had a raccoon coat the biggest sale was for two hundred twenty five dollars which was the black sable and i have to realize the two hundred twenty hundred five would have been almost a half a year's salary for the general run of the mill person and this way jordan's was offering exotic vacations that not everybody could afford but as a wish book it was something that made you realize what they offered it was everything under the sun but they also started in the one nine hundred twenty s a magazine called modes and manners this was something that was beautifully done and it was something that appealed to the women especially who had the credit card in the period of the one nine hundred twenty s modes of man as would not only have fashion tips but they'd also have recipes on how to entertain family and friends modes of manners what actually open and some ways by the period of one nine hundred twenty seven introducing such things as chandeliers suits something that was almost androgynous as you can see the women doesn't even have a waist but these were things that were actually imported from paris original chanel suits was sold a drop in marche but they also had american made and now all types of foods and in this way many people began not only to look at these things but with a simple patten could actually reproduce  home hopefully with jordan marsh fabric that replicate of the original from europe well mode is a man as was an important feature and it made jordan marsh extremely well known and by the period of the one nine hundred forty s at wo richardson mitten on the far and the very center would be presented what we want to call the toby award the chubby award has been awarded annually since the one nine hundred thirty s marketing or merchandising person in the united states who actually has made an impact on american society well mr mytton who at this point would have been the third of the mittens and would be presidents from one nine hundred thirty seven until nine hundred sixty two had not only increased the company fifty four old but the company by the period of one nine hundred sixty two was grossing over one hundred seventy five million dollars a year in that instance the toby award recognized him as one of the leading merchants of boston but in this instance it was an international award that actually made his name famous during that period you had to realize that mitten himself was someone who was now in  one overseeing a company that was to celebrate their hundredth anniversary jordan matia been founded in eight hundred fifty one by eben jordan and benjamin marsh and the two partners started with five thousand dollars in capital yeoman's work but by the period of eight hundred fifty one edward richardson realized that this was a company that was not only profitable but one and one of the most beloved in all of new england and he wanted to actually create something special well he designed in some ways the idea of a new building and the new building was supposed to be the entire block of summer washington avon and chauncey streets but the idea was he started hundred forty eight had portions demolished and it was actually visited by parish sharyn hepburn as a new structure and seen here for the hundredth anniversary this was the entrance of the corner of chauncey and summer street but this was an important feature because this new building was something that not only had escalators air conditioning and even radiant heat sidewalks of it no ice so snow whatever deter a shopper to arrive a drop marsh but it was something a lot of ways that people realize that not many businesses in boston in one nine hundred fifty one could claim to be in business for over one hundred years well the even published a book called tales of the observer it's a small little blue book and it's written in the third person by the observer and the observer himself was a man who recounts of the history of jordan marsh from eight hundred forty one right up hundred fifty one but in this instance it was written by kenneth edwards who was a vice president of jordan marsh and what he did was to truly tell the story and in the third person they not only told the story of eben diet jordan and benjamin marsh but even of all the war hers and what they did and what that company offered but the surprising thing was the observer with his tricorder hat his clay pipe and his colonial garb was something that became  beloved and even sebastian figurines would make a reproduction of the observer that they sold for the hundredth anniversary of jordan marsh this is a small piece that sits on my desk air in boston and when i look at it i begin to realize in some ways nine hundred fifty one sounds so long ago but it was something a lot of ways that no other company in boston could compare well during that period of time the new structure designed by parashar have burned one of the foremost aka textural firms in the united states who had made their claim to fame because they were hired by the rockefeller family to actually restore colonial williamsburg designed a new modern structure and that new modern structure which was nine stories and height with an escalator elevators with actually attendance as well as radiant lights you can see directly above that allowed all of the interiors to actually have light just as if they had a window to the sky and seen here in one nine hundred fifty one not only with the display cases opened but you saw them all aluminum faded and of course shirts were available in a variety of fabrics as well as sizes people began to realize that jordan as was now the most modern department store in all of knowing went and in that period at their centennial they realized it wasn't just boston that was actually important but they also began the expansion to the suburbs and the very first suburban shopping mall which was called shoppers world on route nine in framingham what actually have jordan matias their major anchor but the downtown store itself was something that's still a acted thousands of people on a daily basis but the concept was everything was available under the sun they also offered all sorts of fashion tips and if one needed them of course there were things such as this a woman stands on a beautiful dress and it says may i have the next waltz mista stroh's while this wasn't just a simple dress this was something that was for a special occasion but as you can see harry came in colors such as hyacinth blue pink rose turquoise venetian green violet brown or black and i came in sizes nine to fifteen and sixteen dollars and ninety five cents was usually within the budget of most people but the concept was they also offer the gown that was called the debbie a town dress and this debutant dress which was made of gold satin was something that was not just beautiful but it was a luxurious than a twenty four dollars and ninety five cents this was something that was a little bit of a cut above it was something for a really special occasion but these were the wonderful aspects of fashion the jordans was offering to the general public and in the sunday newspapers you would see these wonderful have a times ment's that went the gamut from not just wonderful dresses but shoes clothing handbags hats as well as men's clothing and children these were an important way to realize that people would arrive at jordan marsh met by a clerk who would then direct them to where they wish to be if one was purchasing a men shirt seen here in the foreground they would be displayed and then you would be available in some ways to choose whatever fabric you wanted and that instance a tie would then be porch so that you could see what it looked like before you made the purchase this in some ways made people realize that it wasn't just women's clothing men's clothing but even children's clothing and then this wonderful view probably around one nine hundred sixty four in the little children's department you would see that now people could actually look through the various cases with all sorts of different dresses and of course there were even mannequins as you can see here where a dress might be displayed that you could see what it would look like when you might purchase it for your child or grandchild these are an important way and some ways of marketing the bit terril they looked good but the idea was you wanted to see what it looked like before you purchased it well in some ways jordan's wanted people to come not just to shop but they wanted people to come to some unique and special events during the period of the twentieth century these events might be sophia loren my comment actually display in some ways her perfume and of course you might get a signed photograph they also had things such as stamp collecting or rajai and galle which was a beautiful company in paris that actually made perfume but during the period of the nineteenth thirty's and forty's they instituted what was called dollar days does anybody remember a dollar does jordan marsh created a blue dollar bill and of course it wasn't george washington on it it was drawn marsh and that dollar was something that could usually purchase something that was on special for that one day it was usually the first wednesday of the month and of course you had to realize that jordan's also had a bargain basement it was nothing to compare  filings bargain basement unfortunately but the idea was in some ways these were things that might have gone to the bargain basement but when you arrived on dollar day as you see people here they might find everything under the sun including as you see here the mother daughter team with the angora hats looking at gloves and for one draw admonished all our might actually get a pair of gloves it will go the gamut a few dollars or it might be a simple dollar but the whole idea was hundreds of people who would not normally have gone to jordan marsh would always go on the first wednesday you also saw people such as ed woodlands actually arriving in jordan martian one nine hundred forty six and wo idea was he approached jordan marsh and he wanted to actually display how his camera took an instant photograph and seen here he had already sent in two dozen cameras with about one hundred rolls of film before he got there for the demonstration everything had been sold so the idea was it brought in close to two thousand people in one nine hundred forty six to here at woodland talk about his instamatic camera and again it was always on the top floor of the acts that either you took the escalator of the elevator and by the time you got downstairs you would usually stopped at one of the flaws to make a purchase and that way you might to be someone who was then chosen to be a tester jury in the period of the nineteen forties and the early one nine hundred fifty s jordan's actually installed escalators but of course in this instance they were called electric stairways and the idea was that if you were chosen you were given to shopping bags and they would be about five to ten pounds each and you would be asked to either a sandow just send the oscar later and they wanted to know how difficult it was for a man or a woman or even a young child to hold a bag and of course the handrail on the escalator well they were very successful and at the end basically you would not fall in and broken the bag or your leg you would get this which said that you were a test pilot and that was something in a lot of ways that made people feel very special a well part of jordan marshall they helped but you also realized in some ways jordan's had a place that was really quite special  that was the bakery the bear curry was on the first floor of a and x facing washington street now the annex you might remember was something that not only had a coin department a stamp department a stationery and book department but it also had records i remember as a child my sister who enjoyed music wanted to purchase a bracket and my mother refused outright because it was jesus christ superstar and my mother said you're not going to purchase that records well she dragged my mother to town and they went to a listening booth to remember listening bows and sat there while my mother and i can still see air through the glass window listen to jesus christ superstar is probably  record you have a listen to but the idea was she was allowed to buy it so can you imagine all of that well adjacent to it was jordan marshall's bakery and the barrett bakery would have at least a dozen bakers who worked the midnight shift eleven pm to seven am and as you can see here they were looking for someone in the one nine hundred sixty s but if you had actually been employed you might have actually gotten the benefits that included a store discount after only weeks of employment well the whole idea was what do they provide blueberry muffins blueberry muffins one of the biggest sales but it went the gamut it wasn't just the blueberry muffin and i don't agree that anyone has the recipe i swear but these recipes are either large which money never use those with bought are or large alone or maybe it's a combination of different flaws but nobody ever seems to replicate the jordan marsh blueberry muffin but they made everything under the sun that included hermits and of course the cherry pie that the observer loved for george washington's birthday and the bakery was an important feature that brought people and as you can see in some ways it was an important feature especially at the holidays well today when we think of jordans most of us always think of the wonderful christmas decorations the catalog seen here which was some nine hundred fifty showed santa claus not coming down the chimney but discussing with the children their new gifts the little boy has a hopalong cassidy outfit the little girl a matter i'm alexandra dall and the little boy in the foreground two trucks well the idea was that these catalogs themselves in the one nine hundred fifty s went the gamut and of course if it was one of the other one might choose a pair of skates or a ball bowling sled or even a pair of skis but if it was a little girl she might want a mad a mile xander dall and these madam alexandra dolls have been made since the nineteenth century in paris they were fine pull slow and biscuit beautifully dressed but at sixteen dollars ninety five cents they were a little bit pricey but the concept was jordan's offered a variety of things and it was a porcelain doll or maybe simply one for ninety nine cents that was made of rubber but in some ways these were things that appeal to the young children but they also offered train sets of boys this wasn't as big as mine i had an american flyer that was given to me when i was born and still have it but the idea is in some ways  toys and which was on the fifth floor of jordan marsh was a place that attracted not just adults young adults but and a jadick children that love to watch and if you see them all around this this was an enormous display for trains a styrofoam hill with tunnels that allowed people to watch this that it went from the time the store opened until it closed so this was something that a lot of ways that brought people not only to window shop so to speak but also in some ways to purchase their gifts for the holidays and maybe you to remember at christmas time this was the wrapping box the box was an important feature it had a horse drawn stagecoach with men with trumpets it was something that was unique but maybe you also remember that if you wanted to have it wrapped you would go to the wrapping station you could usually choose three or four that were gratis but if you spent an extra dollar twenty five you could choose some extremely nice wrapping paper with a huge bio so that it was not only something that the recipient loved but you felt proud to give in that instance they also had something that was really quite unusual does anybody have a watch the macy's day parade on thanksgiving day do you realize that jordan marsh did the same thing on thanksgiving morning doesn't anybody neither did i begin in one nine hundred twenty nine jordan marsh began something that they call the santa sun braid in the santa sun parade started at what was basically kenmore square and went along beacon street to park straight and then down to drop marsh and the concept was they had some pretty unusual balloons this was a centipede but the idea was it was held by two dozen men and some which were employees also people that was solicited for three dollars a day to actually be the guide holders of the wires allowing the balloon to ascend they even hired college men especially at harvard and they would be dressed in clowns outfits of course even sailors outfits celtic warriors chinamen it was something that was really quite unusual but this is sun's beacon street and you see the building on the left hand side that was eben dyer jordan's house on beacon street number forty six he lived there and his son later lived there until his death in one nine hundred sixteen and his widow eventually moved to their summer house in manchester by the sea but the santa son parade went from nine hundred twenty nine until one nine hundred forty three when it was stopped because of world war two the helium that was necessary for the war effort that ascended the balloon as well as of course the silk that was used for the balloon itself were parts of the things that one needed for the war and of course it was never recreate it but by the one nine hundred fifty s people began to think in some ways that the santa sun braid was something that started off the entire holiday shopping season and many people began to realize the life size figures of mary joseph and the baby jesus along with everyone else was placed on the corner but when i remember it it was actually on the side of summer street and here it was not just a large feature but three dimensional palm trees twinkling lights and of course the star of bethlehem directly above the candy canes were actually projected from kennedy's department store but this was something that you could see coming from washington street or from arch straight and it was not just an attraction but it was really quite special and in that period of time the windows themselves would be dressed throughout the one nine hundred fifty s with miniature villages christmas ideas and even animated figures well beginning in one nine hundred fifty nine jordan marsh introduced the enchanted village of st nicholas did anyone ever visit it was one of the rites of passage if one was a bostonian or had family or friends visiting the city to visit the enchanted village of st nicholas between the day after thanksgiving and of course january first would be something that everyone went to by the period of the one nine hundred eighty s a ticket had to be actually issued because there was so many people to go but in the period in one nine hundred fifty nine ad would mitten hired a company known as hoffman company in germany and what they did was to create over two hundred forty animated figures and it went the gamut from men women and children dogs cats how's bowls everything imaginable that moved in unison and the whole idea was that hoffman and company had been making toys in coburg germany since eight hundred seventy five but by nineteen fifth day they would expand the company so much so that jordan marsh became one of a dozen stores in the united states that had what were basically enchanted villages and here the two children are in a wonderful ice cream parlor their heads would bob as they go to actually take a their ice cream sundae but you also began to realize there might be a scene of a poller the rocking horse would move the children would move as you see the little girl holds a string of popcorn it was something that was not only unique but it was something that brought thousands and thousands of people on a daily basis when it opened in one nine hundred fifty nine so much publicity had been given to it for almost a month before it actually opened that the crescendo was that on the day after thanksgiving it was said that there were of a ten thousand people in line just to see it it was free not only was it interesting but there was even music and a trio dressed in leader hose and with tyrolean hats would play appropriate christmas music and in between that be somebody on an organ playing of course him because at the end of the chanted village one might actually go in to see santa claus and the idea was the music was always fun it was rousing even the hurdy gurdy that would actually have a monkey who danced in unison as the little boy's hand turn the crank of the hurdy gurdy well in that instance it was something that became a beloved tradition and seen here with santa claus he wasn't just on that wish book in one nine hundred fifty now one would actually go to visit him at jordan marsh one woman said to me this afternoon i sat on santa claus's lup at jordan marsh i think most of us dead and in that instance it was something that was not just special but as we waited in line we would be given a small candy cane and when we finally got to santa claus we could either tell him what we wanted hopefully and he would listen and of course when we went home we had wonderful memories as we might even to this day well the enchanted village of st nicholas was something that was not only a part of jordan marsh were realized that he and his partner benjamin lloyd marsh parlayed a dry goods store into not just the largest department store and no england but a wonderful memory from the past thank you i hope you enjoyed it