Cal Hirsch & Sons
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1860 or 1871 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California , United States |
| Products | Apparel, footwear, accessories, furniture, toys, beauty salon services, lunch counter |
The Famous Department Store was a department store headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
History
The origins of Famous trace back to Cal Hirsch & Sons Mercantile Co., established in either 1860 or 1871. Initially, the company operated Army and Navy surplus outlets in St. Louis before expanding to Los Angeles in 1913, where it subsequently moved its main offices. The business managed the "Army and Navy Store" located at 526 South Main Street until 1916, when it relocated to a larger facility at 530-532 South Main Street, which was advertised as the "world's largest Army and navy store." By 1917, a branch had been opened in San Diego.
In 1929, Famous inaugurated a downtown Long Beach branch within a building designed by Morgan, Walls & Clements, now recognized as a city landmark.
Throughout the 1930s, U.S. Hirsch served as president of the company; by 1948, that position was held by Urban Hirsch, Jr.
In 1939, Famous acquired the former Blackstone's Department Store Building at 901 South Broadway, which it refurbished and expanded to . This flagship location offered apparel, footwear, accessories, furniture, toys, and included amenities such as a beauty salon and lunch counter. Meanwhile, the previous Main Street location was converted primarily into a warehouse.
In 1950, the Los Angeles investment group J. J. Sugarman Co. acquired Famous for around $3.5 million (1950 USD), constituting one of California’s largest retail transactions of that period. At the time of purchase, Famous operated eight outlets. By 1952, advertising under the Famous name had ceased.
Timeline of geographic expansion
| Year opened | City/area | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1913 | Downtown Los Angeles, 530 S. Main St. | Served as main store until 1939; afterward operated as Famous Army and Navy store |
| 1917 | San Diego | Branch of the Army and Navy Store |
| 1929 | Downtown Long Beach, Pine at 6th | Two stories plus basement; approximately 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2); completed in 1929 for $350,000; art deco design by Morgan, Walls and Clements; designated Long Beach historic landmark |
| 1926 | Glendale, Brand at Harvard | |
| 1932 | Santa Ana, 4th and Bush | Fourth location; 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m2) main floor; opened December 10, 1932 with about 100 staff; basement expanded in 1937 for sporting goods; second retail floor added in 1940 for furniture and home furnishings; modernization in 1941 included third retail floor and self-service elevator |
| 1933 | Pasadena, 268 E. Colorado Boulevard | Opened September 7, 1933 with approximately 250 employees |
| 1935 | Fresno, Fulton at Tulare in former Radin & Kamp building | Sixth store; five stories; opened November 2, 1935 at $750,000 cost; over 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) selling area; staff exceeding 200; managed by A. O. Lamb |
| 1937 | Fullerton, Spadra at Wilshire | |
| 1939 | Downtown Los Angeles, 901 S. Broadway | Flagship store opening |
| 1948 | Porterville, Tulare County | Opened May 1948 on east side of Main St., between Putnam and Mill; managed by George Noonan |
| 1948 | San Bernardino, 393 E St. | Opened December 17, 1948; manager Peter Moses |