Baltimore's Bygone Department Stores: Many Happy Returns (Landmarks)

Hutzler's. Hecht's. Hochschild's. Stewart's. These were the four grand department stores for loyal Charm City shoppers for over one hundred years. Though these giants of the retail scene have been lost, the memories remain. Generations of local children were enchanted by the Toytown Parade at Hochschild's and the Christmas displays at Stewart's--and who can forget Hecht's Festival of Flowers or Hutzler's delectable Wellesley Fudge Cake? While local author and retail historian Michael J. Lisicky recalls readers to fonder days, he also explores this bustling scene as a barometer for Baltimore society. Lisicky chronicles the 1955 sit-in at Read's drugstore, the stores' policies on segregation and the devastating effects of 1968 riots on the area. Through meticulous research and interviews with management insiders, former employees and shoppers, Lisicky renders a stunning portrait of Baltimore in days gone by.