For those who miss Jacobsons

7:30pm Bicknell Lecture-Jacobson's: I Miss It So!

When:Wednesday, Nov 14, 2012

Where:G. P. Woods Library [[map)

Description Jacobson's: I Miss It So!:
The Story of a Michigan Fashion Institution Author, Bruce Allen Kopytek will speak to us about his most recent book. Join us in this return to the elegance of Jacobson's, a beloved Michigan institution for well over one hundred years. Meet the personalities who transformed it from humble origins to a staple of sophistication throughout Michigan and Florida. This deluxe specialty store gave customers a peerless social, shopping and dining destination. Experience anew the refined beauty of its Grosse Pointe store along with the chain’s other locations and learn the secrets that made “Jake's” an icon that is missed by so many. These lecture are free to the public.

Jacobson's was indeed a fine store. They were known for their fabulous shoe sales. They were right up there with Himelhoch's, Saks, Franklin Simon, Demery's, B. Siegel, and on the Avenue of Fashion, Belle Jacob. I have some fantastic memories of shopping at these wonderful stores.

Here is a ton of information on Jacobsens and other department stores. Most of these are long gone and merged into the ugly mega stores like macy's or just plain put out of business. If you click this link, I warn you it may take hours to go through all of the materials. You've been warned.
http://departmentstoremuseum.blogspo...-michigan.html

What a great website!!! Who can forget those green J.L. Hudson's bags and delivery trucks....Thanks Planner!!!

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I grew up in Jackson with the Jacobson's flagship store. It was a great place and I miss it. There's nothing left in downtown Jackson any more and I never even visit town even though it's only an hour away. Nothing to see.

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Originally Posted by drjeff

I grew up in Jackson with the Jacobson's flagship store. It was a great place and I miss it. There's nothing left in downtown Jackson any more and I never even visit town even though it's only an hour away. Nothing to see.

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Jackson does have a few interesting things:
Michigan Space Museum
the Cascades
the Old prison tirned into artists lofts

all come to mind. Its also very close to the Waterloo Recreation Area as well as the Irish Hills.

I visited the Jackson flagship years ago. I recall it was on the West Side of Downtown. Downtown has tried to do things lately to help revive the area, but it, like Pontiac, was definitely hurt by the ring road that was put in to modernize it back in the 1950's.

Good lecture this evening, the author and lecturer also operates The Department Store Museum blog. If you get a chance to see him speak its well worth your time. Also the book quite good.

My Mom always took us to the Ann Arbor store for school clothes shopping. She swore by their quality. I never cared for the place that much because the toy dept was so small and expensive so we never got a treat. I remember very well the display of Corgi toy cars right next to the boys shoe dept.

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Originally Posted by Django

My Mom always took us to the Ann Arbor store for school clothes shopping. She swore by their quality. I never cared for the place that much because the toy dept was so small and expensive so we never got a treat. I remember very well the display of Corgi toy cars right next to the boys shoe dept.

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The author touched on the higher quality of Jake's merchandise in the lecture. In Grosse Pointe the Corgi display was near the women's dept., it was nice be able to check out the toy dept. without having to sit around bored to death while my mom shopped.