Desmond's was a Los Angeles–based department store, during its existence second only to Harris & Frank as the oldest Los Angeles retail chain, founded in the 1860s as a hat shop by Daniel DesmondLos Angeles Herald, Volume XXX, Number 113, 25 January 1903 at Los Angeles and Commercial streets. The chain as a whole went out of business in 1981 but Desmond's, Inc. continued as a company that went in to other chains to liquidate them. Desmond's stores in Northridge and West Covina were liquidated only in 1986 and survived in Palm Springs into the first years of the 21st century.

Locations as a single store Desmond's brother Cornelius was a hatter in San Francisco from at least c.1864 through 1879, for a time working with their other brother Jeremiah. The shop was variously located at Bush and Sansome (1860s), under the Cosmopolitan Hotel (1869) and under the Grand Hotel (1870s) and/or at new Montgomery at Market streets.

The exact year that Desmond arrived in Los Angeles, and the location of his first store, varies according to the source: Desmond's department store, in celebrating its anniversaries, consistently referred to Desmond's first store as being established "near the Los Angeles Plaza" in the year 1882 as did the Los Angeles Times. The Historical Society of Southern California, however, gave the date of Desmond's arrival in Los Angeles as October 14, 1868 The first mention of Mr. Desmond in Los Angeles newspapers was in November 1869, when the Los Angeles Star and Daily News both reported the opening of, and when Desmond first advertised, his "new hat shop", at the corner of Los Angeles and Commercial streets. It thus remains unclear if this was indeed the date of Desmond establishing his first shop, or his second.

1862 was the second year of the American Civil War and the 16th year that the US ruled California, Daniel Desmond arrived in the state via clipper ship via Cape Horn, Chile, as there was no transcontinental railroad. Los Angeles had a population of less than 4,500.

In any case, the first store reportedly measured only a few square feet and Desmond was the only employee. Popular styles included tall, plush "toppers" that dandies wore, and wide-brimmed, flat-crowned "fiesta" hats popular with the Californio dones (gentlemen). Desmond was a member of the volunteer fire department."Desmond's in Seventy-Sixth Year", Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct 1937, Page 8

In Desmond's 1869 advertisements, Desmond claimed to be the only hat store in Los Angeles, filling "a want that has long been felt".

In 1870 Desmond and other leading retailers moved to the Temple Block (Los Angeles) on Main Street.

In 1882, Desmond moved to no. 4 North Spring St., leading other retailers in moving to a new central business district around First and Spring streets, which was, according to the Los Angeles Times in 1937, "the rendezvous for socialites from San Francisco to Baja California". Desmond's opened in the Nadeau Block there.

In 1890, around the time that Los Angeles started horse-drawn streetcar service. Desmond moved his store to its fourth location, in the Bryson Block, 141 S. Spring St. at the northwest corner of 2nd St., which only ten years earlier had been considered "the country".

In 1900, Desmond's moved to its fifth location at Third and Spring in the Ramona Block, home to the Hotel Ramona.

In 1906,Desmond's advertisement, Los Angeles Times 12 Sep 1924, Page 5 when it moved again across the street to the Douglas Building at 301 S. Spring St., its sixth home, as one of the largest retailers in Los Angeles at that time. Around this time Desmond's became a store of reference across Southern California, well known for a broad range of high quality men's attire.

In 1915, Desmond's moved to its seventh location, a new two-story building on 553 S. Spring St., and added women's and boys' shops. The building was demolished in 1924 to make way for the Pacific Southwest Trust and Savings Bank.

In 1924, Desmond's moved to its eighth and final location as a single store at 616 S. Broadway. Broadway was home to many other department stores at the time, including The Broadway, May Company, the Fifth Street Store, Silverwoods, Bullock's, N. B. Blackstone, and Eastern Columbia. Desmond's closed at this location in 1981.

+Downtown Los Angeles flagship store Address Opening date Closing date Current building use "Near Los Angeles Plaza" 1862? 1869? Brick bldg. on Los Angeles St. near Commercial St. November 1869 1870 Temple Block, corner of Spring, Main and Temple 1870 1882 demolished 4 N. Spring at 1st (now 104 N. Spring) 1882 1890 demolished Bryson Block, 141 S. Spring at NW corner of 2nd 1890 1900 demolished Ramona Block, 3rd/Spring 1900 1906 demolished 301 S. Spring st 3rd 1906 1915 543 S. Spring St.,SE corner Spring Street Arcade 1915 1924 Clayton's Public House 616 S. Broadway September 15, 1924 1972 Renovated 2018, now office space, restaurant and rooftop bar.

Branches Downtown branches Desmond's would add branch stores starting in 1927 with Seventh and Hope, and would also operate a branch in the Spring Arcade at 543 Spring Street, next door to the Pacific Southwest Trust and Savings Bank on Spring Street, which occupied the site of its former sole store.

Suburban growth

+Notable branch stores Opened Closed City/ district Location Sequence Architects Notes 1927 1934 W. 7th St. Roosevelt Bldg., 717 W. 7th St. at Hope 3rd Curlett and Beelman Ca. . Currently a restaurant, Shoo Shoo Baby. 1929 late 1980 Miracle Mile 5500 Wilshire Bl. 4th Gilbert Stanley Underwood Occupied the Wilshire Tower building together with Silverwoods. Now The Desmond on Wilshire, residential building,Kudler, Adrian Glick (9 May 2012). "Wilshire's Desmond's Dept. Store Development Back as Rentals". Curbed LA. Retrieved on 16 April 2019. Architect Underwood was known for nature-inspired designs of lodges in national parks. Westwood 1001 Westwood Bl., SW cor. Weyburn 5th John and Donald ParkinsonOriginal store (1930) cost $200,000 to build. In 1940, expanded its original store into what it called a $300,000 "tropical Mediterranean-style" store, double the size."Desmond's Westwood Store Opens New Home", Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep 1940, Page 75 Now a CVS. Long Beach"Now in Long Beach"/branch listing in Desmond's advertisement, Los Angeles Times 1 Sep 1931, Page 5 140 E. Broadway at Locust 6th Bought and took over the Dodd & Hillis clothing store. 1934 W. 7th St. 2nd Union Oil Building, 617 W. 7th. St. Curlett and Beelman (1934), expanded to in 1937, called "a $400,000 investment". Currently a Walgreens 2005 Palm Springs"Desert Sun 13 November 1936 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved on 16 April 2019. Palm Springs Plaza Was long a seasonal store. Crenshaw District Broadway-Crenshaw Plaza"14 Mar 1953, 17 - The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved on 16 April 2019."21 Nov 1955, 55 - The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved on 16 April 2019. 7th Burke, Kober & Nicolais 30,000 sq. ft. on two floors. Largest speciality store in the shopping center. Pasadena 440 S. Lake Av. 8th Burke, Kober & Nicolais 8th store Santa Ana Santa Ana Fashion Square 9th Sherman Oaks Sherman Oaks Fashion Square 10th West Covina West Covina Fashion Center 11th Whittier Whittwood Shopping Center 12th Ventura Buenaventura Center 13th Burke, Kober & Nicolais ) Lakewood Lakewood Center 14th Torrance Del Amo Center 15th Burke, Kober & Nicolais Glendale Glendale Fashion Center 16th Santa Barbara La Cumbre Plaza 17th Interiors by Burke, Kober and Nicolais Desmond's advertisement, Los Angeles Times, 11 September 1967, p. 7 Newport Beach Fashion Island 1987 Northridge Northridge Fashion Center

Gallery

Ownership Ralph R. Huesman, purchased the store from Desmond family heirs in 1921. Fred B. Huesman, his nephew, joined Desmond's five years later. Fred succeeded his uncle as president in 1944 and continued in that position until 1973, when he took the title of chairman. In the early 1960s, New York's Cluett Peabody & Company bought Desmond's.

1977–1981 and epilogue In 1977, a joint venture of Bond Clothing Stores and Harold Kapelovitz bought the chain, and Kapelovitz took over the management of Desmond's.

Between 1977 and 1982 Desmond's closed all but four California locations.

Meanwhile, it opened locations across the Western United States: Arizona Colorado: Mesa Mall, Grand Junction Iowa: Southern Hills Mall, Sioux City Montana North Dakota (2): Dickinson, Bismarck (6,000 square feet, opened 1980, closed 1986) Texas (3): Austin, Midland, Odessa Wisconsin

Northridge and West Covina stores continued operating until 1986.

Kapelovitz sold the Palm Springs La Plaza store to Frank Gross and Stanlee McNeish, and it continued under the Desmond's name until 2005. A separate "Desmond's Big and Tall" Store in Palm Desert Town Center continued operating after that time. Desmonds, Inc. post-1981 Desmond's Inc. continued as a company after the Desmond's chain was closed, purchasing San Diego–based Walker Scott in 1985 and liquidating it the next year; and hired to manage the liquidation of Babbitts department store in Flagstaff, Arizona in 1987. External links Photo of the 2nd Union Oil Building at 617 W. 7th St., showing Desmond's advertisement painted on the building's east wall. The 7th & Hope branch store was located in the building after 1934 when it moved from the Roosevelt Building one block west at 717 W. 7th St. Photos of all Desmond's stores in December, 1935 Photo of Desmond's Long Beach in 1931

References