The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08
LOveman, Joseph & Loeb's Building Now Appears in
 White Grecian Design
ANNEX CONTRACT
 TO BE LET THIS WEEK
Interesting Story of the Remarkable Growth From Modest Beginning of This Great Depart
 ment Store
By REUBEN A. LEWIS

bS RE ObEN A LEWIS
 The delft hands of the corps of decora- tors and artisans have so altered the en- tire physical appearance of the store o1 Loveman, Joseph & Loeb that the land mark seems to be a virtually new build ing. After extensive improvements al cost of s35,000, the building has taken on an entirely new appearance, and is buildings in the south.
 A gllstening white face that looks like marble mas replaced the dull red brick fitlsh The skyline has been changed The cornices, gables and superstructure that formerly appeared upon the top of the building have been removed and sim pie Grecian lines have been adopted.
 Though the outstanding feature of the changes in appearance is the rich, white veneer there have been many striking alterations that are not so obvious The show windows have been extended on the Second avenue siGe until there are BAG running feet of display windows. in which to exhibit the modes of the day. Within, the first floor has been com pletely refurnfshed Throughout the lower space, mahogany fixtures have been supplied. A new mezzanine floo, has been added to augment the 2S, GOO feet of space.
 Lighting is big feature in the inn proved store. Singularly Loveman, Joseph x Loeb was operating in Birning- ham before the first electric light glowed in the city. But there has never been a time when the pioneer department store dla not Keep pace with the progress of science, and, accordingly the, lighting system of the building both for the show windows and the 112,000 square feet or floor space, Is the most modern. It was determined upon after a thorough II spection of the systems of illumination in use in all the big department stores in New York city
 One of the most interesting sidelights Of the renovation is the fact that these are the first changes, involving a large outlay of money, that have been made since 1889, when the present building ot the firm was erected.
 TRACING FIRMS GROWTH
 To trace the growth of the Loveman, Joseph & Loeb firm reveals that since the first venture in 1887, there have been steady and phenomenal increases. The firm had its first start on May 25, 1887, when the late A. B. Loveman opened a
 
 occupied by the Strand theatre His faith in Birmingham and its future had no bounds. His reports soon had their ef- feet, for he was joined by M. V. Joseph, who came from Selma on July IT, 1887. From the outset, the firm prospered Evidence of this was soon produced, for in November, 1887. the store was enlarged by the addition of the adjoining store, which is now occupied by the Hahn shoe store The T Loeb-came into being on February g. 1889, while Emil Loeb deserted New York to seek fortune in the city.
 The quarters then occupied on Sec ond avenue soon became inadequate. On September 8 the firm moved to 212-14 Nineteenth street.-the site of the present building. though the frontage was sub- stantially only half of the present To- cation. For eight years, the department store served Birmingham, but soon be- came too small. On March 8. 1889, the first brick was moved from old Ely ton block to permit further expansion, the outcrop of which was the completion of the four-story department structure; then the most magnificent building in all the city. It had it's present front age of 140x2O0' feet.
 So we'll did the architects and crafts men devise that until the past year
 
 carry the volume of business that is vir- tually without equal in the south With its 112,000 square feet of floor space, ex- elusive of the balconies, 1t has the largest area of any department store in the south. exclusive of Louisiana and Texas.
 WILL BUILD ANNEX
 But in spite of these tremendous facili- ties, the firm of Loveman, Joseph & Loeb has again reached the point where expansion is necessary to care for the volume of business in Birmingham. On Wednesday, a contract will be signed by the firm with the Smallman-B Con- struction company for the erection of a S15O,000 annex situated in the rear oi the present building fronting on Third avenue.
 The white facing of the building is from a composition that has never been used in the south before. It is a veneer oi white stucco, a mixture of marble dust and white cement. It is impervious tc cirt and water and is substantial in that 1t has thickness of three inches.
 The present improvements were started On July 1. Two firms of architects con- tributed their art and skill to the altera- tions. Joy & Gallop of Birmingham and Starrett & Van Vleck of New York city were the directors of the changes while P F. Bostic of Birmingham was the general contractor.
 OCTOBER RECORD WEEK