Jacoby's

Jacoby Bros.

Company type	Private
Industry	Retail
Founded	1870
Founder	Isaac Jacoby, Nathan Jacoby, Charles Jacoby, Abraham Jacoby, Lessor Jacoby, Leopold Harris
Defunct	1938
Fate	Ceased operations
Headquarters	Los Angeles , United States
Products	Clothing, home furnishings, boots, shoes, hats

Jacoby Bros. establishment at 128–134 N. Spring Street, circa 1896

The initial Jacoby store: "Harris & Jacoby, successors to H. W. Hellman," predecessors to both Harris & Frank and Jacoby Bros., situated in the Old Downey Block around 1870. Nearby is M. Kremer, precursor to the City of Paris department store

Jacoby Bros. (known as Jacoby's by the late 1930s) ranked among Los Angeles' foremost dry goods merchants during the 1880s and 1890s, evolving over time into a full department store that ultimately ceased operations in the late 1930s.

In 1870,Template:Ref Isaac, Nathan, Charles, Abraham, and Lessor Jacoby partnered with Leopold Harris to acquire Herman W. Hellman’s store, establishing Harris & Jacoby. The Jacoby siblings, Harris Newmark, and Leopold Harris all originated from the same hometown of Löbau, West Prussia (then part of the German Empire, now Lubawa, Poland). Their merchandise included clothing, home furnishings, boots, shoes, hats, and more, offered both wholesale and retail.

In February 1878, Loewenstein transferred ownership of his business located within the Downey Block at 63 N. Main St. (renumbered post-1890 as 163 N. Main), positioned on Main’s west side just north of Temple Street across from Commercial Street, to Lessor Jacoby. That same year marked the launch of "Jacoby's Clothing House" at this location.

Temple Block locations (1879–1891)

Beginning in 1879, the enterprise—initially branded as "L. Jacoby," then as "Jacoby Bros."—operated at 103 N. Main (pre-1890 numbering) within the County Bank Building of Temple Block. This site later became known as the distinct Jacoby Bros.' Philadelphia Shoe Store, while the Jacoby Bros. Retail Clothing House commenced operations just southward in storefronts at 121–127 N. Main St. (post-1890 numbering: 221–227 N. Main St.), continuing under this designation through March 1891 before simplifying to Jacoby Bros. through August 1891.

Starting February 1891, advertisements placed the Philadelphia Shoe House at 128–130 N. Spring St. (post-1890 numbering). By May of that year, the Shoe House relocated further north to 215 N. Spring St., three doors above the nearby City of Paris department store. This move facilitated Jacoby Bros.' plan to demolish that building along with adjacent properties at 132–134 N. Spring and construct a grand new retail space spanning addresses from 128 through 134 Spring Street.

New location at 128-134 Spring Street (1891-1900)

On November 14, 1891, Jacoby Bros. celebrated the inauguration of their new premises at 128-134 Spring Street within the Larronde Block building, accompanied by a wholesale division situated at 125 N. Main St. The structure was acclaimed for its architectural elegance, described as a "striking blend of pressed brick, terra cotta, and Sespe sandstone," featuring elegant columns and arches, a prominent arch above the central balcony adorned with streamers, as well as attractive signage and decorative elements. The display windows were notably large for that era, with two measuring 12 feet in length and one extending 22 feet, all with an 8-foot depth. The entrances were two in number, each 12 feet wide, equipped with tiled vestibules and polished white marble steps. The retail area on the ground floor spanned approximately 9,800 square feet (910 m²), mirrored by an equal-sized basement dedicated to wholesale boots and shoes, while the second floor housed wholesale clothing and hats within the same area. This design introduced innovative features such as maintaining a single open sales floor per level with abundant natural light instead of partitioned departments. Following this expansion, the separate Philadelphia Shoe House ceased operations.

By August 1896, Jacoby Bros. expanded further by acquiring the space previously occupied by H. Jevne grocers at 136-138 N. Spring Street, thus consolidating their presence from 128 through 138 N. Spring St., maintaining this arrangement until February 1900.

Broadway location (1900)

In the year 1900, Jacoby Bros., along with numerous other high-end retailers, relocated westward to Broadway, settling at 331-333-335 S. Broadway. This new establishment was developed under the direction of Homer Laughlin, with architectural design by John B. Parkinson. The store officially opened on March 3, 1900, featuring four stories plus a basement and offering approximately 60,000 square feet (5,600 m²) of retail space. It boasted a frontage of sixty feet and was equipped with two elevators. The second floor was dedicated to men's apparel, the third to women's clothing, while the fourth floor handled wholesale operations. A centerpiece was a 25-by-40-foot atrium that allowed natural light to flood the interior. Its basement shoe department covered 13,125 sq ft (1,219.4 m²), making it the largest shoe retailer in the Western United States—three times bigger than any other shoe store in Los Angeles at that time. The store also held exclusive rights to sell clothing from Hackett, Carhart & Co.

Today, the building remains standing but has been reduced to two stories. When the Broadway Theater and Commercial District was designated on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, the Jacoby Brothers Building was classified as a non-contributing property within the district.

Hiatus (1935–1936)

During a short interval around 1935 to 1936, the company’s promotional materials omitted the "Bros." and simply used the name Jacoby's.

In approximately May 1935, Jacoby Bros. closed their store located at 331–335 S. Broadway due to an inability to renew their lease. Their inventory was sold to the May Company. Later in the 1930s, a Los Angeles-based Boston Store (distinct from the Inglewood Boston Store, which evolved into a major chain) took over that location.

6th & Broadway Location (1936–1938)

In February 1936, the business resumed operations at the H. Jevne & Co. Building, situated at 605 S. Broadway on the southwest corner of Sixth Street. However, by 1938, Jacoby's ceased operations once again.

By 1940, the majority of this property had been leased to Zukor's retailer. The Zukor's signage remains visible on the section of the building they occupied.

Notes

1Template:NoteNumerous references from the 1920s and 1930s claim that Jacoby's initially opened a store in Wilmington in 1875 and then expanded to Los Angeles in 1877. Nevertheless, photographic documentation presented in Wilson's publication contradicts this timeline by showing Harris & Jacoby operating in the Old Downey Block, which was demolished around 1870. Moreover, advertisements for seeds sold at Hellman’s store at No. 2 Downey Block, Los Angeles, stopped appearing in January 1870, while ads for Harris & Jacoby at No. 2 Downey Block started running in December of that same year. Pinpointing the exact moment in 1870 when ownership transferred from Hellman to Jacoby is challenging due to gaps in archived Los Angeles newspapers between 1864 (for the Star) and 1873 (when Herald archives begin). In their own advertising from 1900, Jacoby Bros. cited their establishment date as 1867.