Remember Goldblatt’s and Wieboldt’s? Those are 2 of Chicago’s ‘lost’ stores in Elmhurst History Museum exhibit

Memories of ‘Lost Chicagoland Department Stores’ on display at Elmhurst History Museum

Their names evoke memories of back-to-school shopping, selecting gifts for a special occasion and discovering the latest styles. Montgomery Ward, Sears and Marshall Field’s were landmarks in the Chicago area, anchors to the malls where shoppers used to roam.

Today, these are just a few of the well-known department stores featured in the new exhibit at the Elmhurst History Museum, “Lost Chicagoland Department Stores,” which opened Oct. 6.

“Everybody has some memory of going to these department stories with their family and friends,” said Sarah Cox, curator of exhibits for the Elmhurst History Museum, 120 E. Park Ave.

Cox co-produced the exhibit with local historian and author Leslie Goddard, who penned the book, “Remembering Marshall Field’s, Lost Chicago Department Stores.” In addition to her writing and knowledge on the topic, Goddard shared artifacts for the museum’s exhibit, Cox said.

In addition to many photos, visitors will see everything from the iconic green shopping bags from Marshall Field’s to fashionable clothing and accessories women wore when they went to a department store for a day of shopping and lunch at a tea room with friends.

“Many of the stores had fashion shows in their restaurant or tea room or on their first floor,” Cox said.

In addition to the larger stores, the exhibit includes items about the more affordable department stores of the past including Goldblatt’s and Wieboldt’s, which were founded in Chicago.

These and other department stores started with locations in downtown Chicago and later would add suburban addresses to meet shoppers closer to home. Even as shoppers had access to department stores closer to home, there remained a special reason to travel to Chicago to visit a store for an occasion, such as lunch at the Walnut Room or to see the windows decorated for the Christmas season.

Cox will be creating a special decorated window display at the Glos Mansion in Elmhurst this holiday season as part of the museum’s exhibit. And a guest speaker who worked as a window designer will be part of the museum’s Sip and Shop event Dec. 1 at Brewpoint Craft in Elmhurst. Information on events at the museum are available at the museum’s website.

Another featured event in December will be a special walking tour and visit at the former Marshall Field’s building on State Street in Chicago.

“While the exhibit tells of the end of an era, we still have memories and we can still tell stories from our experiences,” Cox said.

While the exhibit focuses on the memories of former department stores, it poses a question to visitors about today’s shopping experience and its focus with online shopping and the challenges of local retailers.

“There’s a call to action,” Cox said. “We advocate shopping local, shopping the ma and pa shops.”

The exhibit runs through Jan. 28 and makes the perfect stop to relive nostalgia while enjoying holiday shopping or during the winter school break in December.

Registration is recommended. One of the gallery tours with Cox sold out ahead of the exhibit’s opening.

Admission to the museum is free. The museum is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

For more information, visit https://www.elmhursthistory.org/exhibits/