Bullocks Wilshire

Bullocks Wilshire
	File:Bullocks Wilshire Logo.png
Company type	Department store chain
Industry	Retail
Founded	September 1929; 97 years ago
Founder	John G. Bullock
Defunct	1993
Fate	Acquired by Macy's and rebranded as I. Magnin; stores closed by 1994-1995
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California, United States
Area served	Southern California, United States
Products	Apparel, accessories, luxury goods
Parent	Bullock's, Inc. (until acquisition by Macy's in 1989)

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Bullocks Wilshire, situated at 3050 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, is an approximately 230,000-square-foot (21,000 m²) structure exemplifying Art Deco architecture. This establishment began operations in September 1929 as an upscale department store founded by John G. Bullock, who also owned the more conventional Bullock's located in Downtown Los Angeles. The name Bullocks Wilshire also referred to the department store chain, with the Los Angeles location serving as its flagship among seven total stores. In 1989, Macy's acquired the chain and rebranded the stores under the I. Magnin name, which was ultimately discontinued in 1994. Presently, the building is under the ownership of Southwestern Law School.

Design

File:Bullock's Department Store on Wilshire Boulevard circa 1936.jpg

Bullocks Wilshire, circa 1936

The architectural design was crafted by renowned Los Angeles architects John and Donald Parkinson. The interior spaces were developed by Eleanor Lemaire and Jock Peters from the Feil & Paradise Company, while the ceiling mural located in the porte-cochère was created by artist Herman Sachs.

Exterior

File:Bullocks Wilshire Building.jpg

View of Bullocks Wilshire from the northeast

One of the building’s most distinctive features is its 241-foot (73 m) tower capped with copper that has aged to a green patina. Historically, a beacon atop this tower could be seen from many miles away. Above the main entrance on Wilshire Boulevard, there is a stylized relief sculpted by George Stanley, who is also credited with designing the Oscar. It is believed that among those who contributed labor to this project was Sam Rodia, famed for constructing the Watts Towers.

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Bullocks Wilshire Logo

A pioneering aspect of Bullocks Wilshire was its early adaptation to Los Angeles’s growing automobile culture. Positioned within what was then primarily a residential area, its goal was to draw shoppers seeking a more convenient alternative to Downtown Los Angeles. While traditional display windows faced the street to attract pedestrians, they were deliberately designed to capture the attention of passing drivers. Given that most patrons arrived by car, the main entrance was strategically placed at the rear of the building. Beneath the city’s first department store porte-cochère, valets dressed in livery greeted customers and assisted with parking their vehicles.

Interior

Visitors entered through the foyer, which featured floors made of travertine and elevators adorned with finishes in nickel, brass, and gunmetal.

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Lobby elevator door

The first level housed the vaulted Perfume Hall, illuminated by natural light softened by walls clad in St. Genevieve marble. Other floors showcased apparel and accessories displayed in low-profile glass cases resting on rosewood pedestals or presented on live mannequins, avoiding the visual clutter of hanging racks. Upper-level salons and showrooms operated almost like individual boutiques. The Louis XVI Room offered designer gowns, while the Directoire Room specialized in formal attire and later, furs. Subsequently, the space included the couture Chanel Room alongside the Irene Salon, known as the first boutique dedicated to a single designer within a major U.S. department store. This salon was managed by future Hollywood costume designer Irene Lentz, who created custom wardrobes for celebrities before advancing to a career in design at prominent film studios, including MGM. Additional departments featured toys, a mezzanine-level Doggery with canine accessories, and the city's inaugural leisurewear collection located on the Playdeck. The women's shoe salon was uniquely paneled using wood from one Central American tree. Walls in the furs atelier were lined with cork material dyed in exotic colors. The Saddle Shop boasted vermillion floor tiles, display cases crafted from deep red oak, and a life-sized plaster sculpture of a horse named Bullock's Barney.

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Recessed ceiling and light fixture

For refreshments, patrons could visit the top-floor desert-themed tearoom and its adjacent lounge, where society ladies convened for luncheon fashion shows. Exclusive service was offered to select gentlemen invited to shop privately within J.G. Bullock's wood-paneled suite on the fifth floor. Business leaders and political figures enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres while sales associates demonstrated potential gift options.

Clientele and notable employees

Bullocks Wilshire catered predominantly to Los Angeles' elite social class. During its peak years, its clientele included celebrities such as Mae West, John Wayne, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Alfred Hitchcock, Greta Garbo, ZaSu Pitts, Walt Disney, and Clark Gable. As a teenager aspiring to act, Angela Lansbury worked as a sales clerk at the store. Future First Lady Patricia Nixon also spent time working on the sales floor. Adjacent to the Chanel department, photographers from Neil Gittings captured images of many famous visitors who frequented Bullocks Wilshire.

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Bullocks Wilshire south façade

Decline

During the early 1970s, this Bullock's sub-division eliminated its apostrophe and began establishing distinct branch locations to clearly differentiate its upscale luxury image from the broader, more mid-range Bullock's brand. Branches opened in Palm Springs (1947), Woodland Hills (The Promenade) (1973; 80,000 square feet), Newport Beach (Fashion Island) (1977; 80,000 square feet), La Jolla (1979), Palos Verdes (1981), and Palm Desert (previously Bonwit Teller; 1987; 50,000 square feet). The Woodland Hills and Newport Beach stores were designed by the Los Angeles architectural firm Welton Becket and Associates. Over time, as other luxury retailers and boutiques gravitated toward the west side of the city and county, the primary trading area for Bullocks Wilshire declined. Nevertheless, the flagship location remained a shopping destination until 1988, when it entered a rapid downturn accelerated under its final owners, Macy's, who had acquired the chain from the Campeau Corporation. The Wilshire Boulevard flagship sustained significant damage during the Los Angeles riots of 1992; looters invaded the store and destroyed every display case on the ground floor. The upper levels escaped harm because employees fleeing the scene had shut off the elevators; ironically, the store’s original design choice to exclude escalators may have preserved this historic landmark from greater destruction. At least three arson fires were ignited but did not spread beyond their points of origin. Bullocks Wilshire ultimately ceased operations in 1993 amid legal disputes as Macy’s removed historic artifacts, furnishings, and fixtures for use in other stores—though nearly all of the original 1929 fixtures were returned following public pressure. Around 1990, most locations had been converted to I. Magnin, a luxury chain based in San Francisco, which was itself closed by Federated Department Stores in January 1995 after acquiring Macy’s.

Current use of building

In 1994, ownership of the building transferred to neighboring Southwestern Law School, which undertook restoration efforts to return it to its original 1929 appearance while repurposing it as an essential component of the campus. The structure is recognized as a historic-cultural monument by the City of Los Angeles, and it was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 25, 1978.

The Southwestern Law School Office of Administrative Services manages all commercial photography and filming requests on campus in collaboration with Unreel Locations.