Michael J. Lisicky - Bamberger’s: New Jersey’s Greatest Store

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2016 by Michael J. Lisicky

All rights reserved

First published 2016

e-book edition 2016

ISBN 978.1.43965.836.9

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016942429

print edition ISBN 978.1.46713.644.0

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

If youre interested in department store history, buy his books.

Philadelphia Inquirer

Retail fans can now take a stroll down memory lane with Lisicky, a department store historian.

Boston Globe

Lisicky is probably the only department store historian I know. Hes an oboist with the Baltimore Symphony but his true passion is those great brick-and-mortar stores that were so much a part of our lives.

Tampa Tribune

Like veterans of a noble causea battle or an expeditionformer employees of Woodward & Lothrop came forward to share their memories after the recent column on Lisickys book. Customers did, too.

Washington Post

You might think of Michael Lisickys obsession with department stores as an orchestral tone poem for a single oboe: at turns plaintive and raucous, eloquent and funny, with unpredictable little swerves.

Baltimore Sun

From the late 1960s until the early 1980s, Bambergers used an illustration of the once-busy Newark main floor in its employee handbook. Courtesy of Paul Coghlan.

To every former department store employee and customer who remains proud and loyal to this very day, long after the stores doors have closed.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Any type of historical book could never be possible without the assistance and archival resources of libraries, historical societies and museums. I want to thank Thomas Ankner and the Newark Public Library, the staff at the New Jersey Historical Society, librarian/archivist William Peniston and the Newark Museum, Bill Leaver and the Fritz Behnke History Museum, the Jewish Federation of Greater Metrowest New Jersey, the Metuchen-Edison Historical Society and Nancy Piwowar and the Historical Society of Plainfield. The newspaper archives of the Newark Evening News, the Newark Star-Ledger, the New York Times, the Jersey Journal and the Trenton Times proved invaluable to this project. The Mergent Archives database of corporate annual reports has also proved to be an essential and invaluable resource.

Archival documents must be supplemented by personal memories, and former buyer Ken Allan and former Newark mayor Kenneth A. Gibson were so generous with their recollections. Sincere appreciation goes to Senator Cory Booker, along with the assistance of Newark office press secretary Thomas Pietrykoski, for his contribution that perfectly defined Bambergers important cultural and commercial role in Newark and throughout the Garden State. Former Bambergers executives interviewed throughout the book helped give the insiders view of this amazingly successful business. Raymond Harris helped remember and document even the simplest dish served at the stores restaurants. Locating his whereabouts would not have been possible without Larry Daviss help. Regional department stores, and their traditions, may have largely disappeared. You cant see them or touch them, but their surviving recipes and preparations can maybe help you taste or smell them. I find recipes to be essential to these types of books, and I thank former restaurant manager Raymond Harris for his memory. The main downtown restaurant closed in 1955, but the steamed hot dogs and orange drink served at the snack bars throughout the stores still evoke happy thoughts. Too bad the brand name remains unknown. A special thank-you also goes out to Betty Detmer for her culinary assistance. And as always, this series of department store history and memory books could not continue without the motivation of Jan Whitaker and David Sullivan. I am also grateful for the generous support from the Howard and Tillie Needleman Charitable Trust.

And heres to my wife, Sandy. Ten books and maybe counting? Who knows. She helps make these projects readable. Poor thing.

Iconic businesses like Bambergers, Kresges and Hahnes helped shape downtown Newark and indeed the whole city during the early part of the twentieth century. Not only did Bambergers help spur economic growth in Newark and create jobs, but it helped build memories for families that lasted a lifetime and heralded Newark as a center for New Jersey culture and commerce. The history of Bambergers is an indelible part of the history of New Jersey, and it remains as a great testimony to our citys and states profoundly impactful entrepreneurial spirit.

Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Mayor of Newark (200613)

Introduction

When I grew up in New Jersey, the state had only two area codes: 201 and 609; 201 meant North Jersey, and 609 meant South Jersey. Residents of the Garden State were very protective of their image and proudly defended their state to visitors and late-night talk show hosts. The entire state bonded together whenever the states reputation was attacked, but behind the scenes, New Jersey was divided between its northern half and southern half, at least in my eyes. 201 meant the Mets and the Empire State Building, while 609 stood for the Phillies and William Penn. 201 was the Meadowlands, and 609 was the Pine Barrens. 201 had subs and heroes, and 609 sold hoagies. 201 had Newark, and 609 had Camden. The list can go on forever. Down south, we never called it Jersey or asked, What exit? For us, New Jersey ultimately was one flawed and somewhat divided state, but it was everybodys home.

I was born in Camden and raised in Cherry Hill. By the 1950s, my community had started covering its plentiful farmlands with homes filled with families who had escaped city living. It was the utopian suburbs, the perfect American dream. Up until the early 1960s, it was known as Delaware Township. But when Delaware Township wanted its own post office, the application was denied. There was already a Delaware Township, but it was located in North Jerseys Hunterdon County. Delaware Township needed a new name, and the decision seemed relatively easy. We already had the Cherry Hill Inn, the Cherry Hill Farm and the brand-new Cherry Hill Mall. On November 7, 1961, Delaware Township voters officially approved a new name: Cherry Hill.

The Cherry Hill Mall was the communitys most visible and active landmark. Planned over years and built in sections, the enclosed mall was spearheaded by Philadelphias Strawbridge & Clothier department store. But when the shopping center embarked on its second phase, Strawbridge & Clothier elected not to compete with any other Philadelphia-area department store. Instead, Strawbridges approved Newark-based Bambergers as the malls second anchor store. Bambergers was little known to 609 residents but was regarded in the industry as a sturdy and reliable retailer. Its association with the powerful and famous R.H. Macy & Co. also gave it validity. Bambergers entry into Cherry Hill was meant to complement Strawbridge & Clothier and the malls smaller shops. It wasnt intended to dominate Strawbridges, but by the 1970s, Bambergers Cherry Hill had blossomed into the top-grossing suburban department store in the Philadelphia/South Jersey area.