Stern, Cahn & Loeb

City of Paris

Company type	Private
Industry	Retail
Predecessor	S. Lazard & Co.
Founded	1852
Founder	Solomon Lazard, Maurice Kremer
Defunct	1897
Fate	Bankruptcy
Successor	Stern, Cahn & Loeb (management)
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California , United States
Products	Dry goods, department store merchandise

Stern, Cahn & Loeb's City of Paris department store located at 105-7 North Spring Street (renumbered post-1890 to 205-7 Spring), photographed between 1883 and 1890

City of Paris—initially known as S. Lazard & Co.—was a dry goods retailer that evolved into Los Angeles' first department store. Its operation spanned from the 1850s until 1897, undergoing several name changes: starting as Lazard & Kremer Co., then Lazard & Wolfskill Co., followed by S. Lazard & Co.. Later, it was branded as City of Paris under Eugene Meyer & Co., and eventually managed by Stern, Cahn & Loeb. This establishment is distinct from the more renowned City of Paris in San Francisco and the Ville de Paris in Los Angeles, founded by A. Fusenot and originating as a branch of San Francisco's "City of Paris".

History

Advertisement for Lazard and Kremer published in the Los Angeles Star on October 30, 1852

Spanish-language advertisement for Lazard and Kremer in the Los Angeles Star dated June 18, 1853

Advertisements for Rich and Newmark, alongside Lazard and Kremer in the Los Angeles Star on September 21, 1854

S. Lazard & Co.'s retail location on Main Street between 1866 and 1872

Advertisement for Eugene Meyer & Co.'s City of Paris featured in the Los Angeles city directory, 1878

French immigrant Solomon Lazard partnered with his cousin Maurice Kremer to establish a dry goods business named Lazard & Kremer Co. in 1852. Their store was situated within Mellus Row—a series of shops later referred to as the Bell Block or Bell's Row—positioned at the southeast corner where Los Angeles Street intersects Aliso Street. In June 1857, Kremer sold his interest to Timoteo Wolfskill (1835–1909), resulting in the firm being renamed Lazard & Wolfskill Co.. Following Wolfskill’s exit from the partnership on August 13, 1858, the company adopted the title S. Lazard & Co.

By 1867, Lazard relocated the enterprise to 53 Main Street, a destination favored by fashionable Los Angeles women seeking contemporary French styles.

Marc Eugene Meyer, originally from Strasbourg, Alsace, and father to financier Eugene Meyer—who would later own The Washington Post and serve as president of both the World Bank and Federal Reserve—joined forces with Constant Meyer and Nathan Cahn (or Kahn) to acquire S. Lazard & Co. from Solomon Lazard in 1874. Subsequently, they operated under the name Eugene Meyer & Co., branding their store as the City of Paris. By March of that year, Eugene Meyer & Co. identified themselves as successors to S. Lazard & Co., conducting business at 51-53 Main Street. The 1878 city directory lists their address as 53–55 Main Street "opposite the St. Charles Hotel", placing them on the west side near the St. Elmo Hotel.

In January 1879, Leon (Leopold) Loeb—cousin to Eugene Meyer—was admitted as a partner into Eugene Meyer & Co. Loeb was married into pioneer family Harris Newmark, originally from Löbau/Loebau in Prussia, and fathered Joseph P. Loeb.

On October 2, 1880, City of Paris under Meyer's leadership inaugurated a new location known as the City of Paris Block at 17–19 Spring Street, situated just south of First Street and near where the Nadeau Hotel would be constructed in 1888.

By spring of 1883, City of Paris shifted again to premises at 105-107 North Spring Street (pre-1890 numbering; west side between Franklin Temple and just north of Jones Block; renumbered post-1890 as 205–207 North Spring Street).

In October that same year, Eugene Meyer divested his interest; Marc Eugene Meyer relocated to San Francisco while Emmanuel L. Stern became a partner alongside others to establish Stern, Cahn & Loeb. Despite ownership changes, the store retained its "City of Paris" identity, continuing operations within what was then recognized as the Central Business District.

Following a city-wide renumbering initiative in 1890, advertisements from early 1892 show that City of Paris remained at its location but expanded by incorporating an additional storefront on each side, occupying addresses from 203 to 209 North Spring Street. By 1893 financial difficulties had surfaced; management had transitioned to Stern Bros., who succeeded Leon Loeb. The following year saw public announcements regarding plans for store closure.

Despite this downturn, City of Paris continued operations into 1895 at the Jones Block, located at 177 North Spring Street, even as leading department stores began relocating towards South Broadway.

Ultimately, bankruptcy was declared for the establishment in 1897.