An Amsterdam retail store, Holzheimer and Shaul, had three lives downtown, according to local city resident Emil Suda.
Holzheimer and Shaul at first was a four-floor department store on the south side of Main Street that also included a basement sales floor.
In the 1940s, Holzheimer’s moved to the north side corner of Church and East Main streets and was reduced to selling ladies fashions on two floors, according to Suda. It was there that a large atomizer hung from the storefront dispensing perfume into the air.
In a 1950s newspaper ad, Holzheimer’s advertised that summer daintiness started with a fresh Life Bra every day, on sale for $2. each on the second floor.
“It’s a can’t miss formula for summer daintiness, so be sure you have enough extra Life Bras to see you through,” promised the advertisement. “Wash them as often as you please—these wonderful bras won’t shrink.”
In the 1970s, Suda recalled, Anna Brown, a seamstress, left Holzheimer and Shaul to work for Elsie Curran Interiors a few doors away on East Main Street.
Suda said, “Since Anna was a fine seamstress at the clothing store, an unusual agreement was made that if certain customers from the ladies store needed careful attention, then Anna would be called to come over and meet the needs at the moment. This happened on several occasions.”
Suda said that to the delight of owner Sam Fox, Holzheimer’s did relocate from its increasingly dilapidated East Main Street building to the first version of the Amsterdam Mall, which opened March 31, 1977 with many original downtown merchants in the complex. Holzheimer’s apparently finally closed in the mall at some time during the 1980s.
M. Lurie and Company of Amsterdam, the city’s premiere department store in the industrial heyday, never made it to the mall.
Suda said, “Lurie's had an impressive look about it, covered in a shiny black façade with the name M. Lurie & Co. in large white block letters.”
The “M” in M. Lurie stood for Morris. Abraham and Lewis Lurie also were principals of the department store. In 1931, Abraham and Fanny Lurie were living in Amsterdam, at 196 Guy Park Avenue.
“What made an impressive appearance at Lurie’s was the island walk around in the center of the main entrance, that was lighted at night and showcased fashionable apparel,” Suda said.
Lurie’s was known for its pneumatic tube cash system. Suda said, “A young Mildred Allen from Eagle Street worked at the change room in Lurie’s, which was somewhat elevated, a few steps off the floor, creating a balcony look. Besides Amsterdam, Lurie’s also was located in Little Falls.”
Isadore Demsky worked at Lurie’s in the men’s department in the 1930s before seeking his fortune in Hollywood as the actor Kirk Douglas.
ELWOOD MEMORIES
Amsterdam native and frequent contributor Richard Ellers provided a salute to Walter Elwood’s interest in photography following the recent column on Elwood’s life.
Amsterdam educator, world traveler and founder of the now beleaguered Walter Elwood Museum on Guy Park Avenue, Elwood lived from 1886 to 1955.
Ellers recalled Elwood’s visits to Fourth Ward and New East Main Street elementary schools to talk about nature and wildlife, using color pictures and a slide projector.
Ellers said, “People need to consider Mr. Elwood as being at the leading edge of photography. This was the late 1930s and early 1940s when not many people shot Kodachrome slides--either because they didn't have the very good cameras, or simply couldn't afford the film. I have to mention and others should agree, that Mr. Elwood talked with a drone and some kind of impediment in his speech.”
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