The Rise and Fall of State Street

For much of Chicago’s history, State Street reigned as the city’s premier retail shopping corridor, boasting such major stores as Marshall Field and Company, Carson, Pirie, Scott, Mandel Brothers, the Fair, and Goldblatt’s. These stores set new standards for retail innovation, customer-pampering
services and visual display. Generations of Chicagoans trekked to State Street each year for holiday shopping, civic celebrations, and just an afternoon of
fun. This illustrated talk July 11, 2012 form 1- 3 p.m. traces the rise and fall of State Street as Chicago’s premier shopping destination, using photographs and artifacts to explore the history of the major department stores
as well as the smaller, value-oriented stores, and the tensions brought about by the emergence of suburban shopping malls and the corridor’s brief conversion
of the area into a transit mall.   Fees are $7 members, $9 members. To register for this program, or seek additional information, call 847.470.5223 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.