The department store with its striking architectural appointments became an elegant destination that encouraged shoppers to make an extended visit. This ornate brass water fountain was used in J.L. Hudson’s flagship department store at 1206 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan in 1911. The flagship store was 25 stories tall and occupied an entire city block. The interior of the store was built with the same elegance, replete with chandeliers, murals, floral arrangements, as well as this water fountain. The goal was to provide the customer with everything they would need to shop all day long, including amenities like restaurants, libraries, barber shops, and auditoriums.
Joseph Lowthian Hudson founded the chain of Hudson’s department stores in Detroit, Michigan in 1881. The store expanded to other locations and in 1969 was acquired by the Minneapolis based Dayton department store forming the Dayton-Hudson Corporation. In 2000 Dayton-Hudson changed its name to that of its discount retail division – Target. Later the department store division was renamed Marshall Field’s which was then sold to Macy’s in 2006.
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