END OF AN ERA

A trip to any city, even Philadelphia would not be complete without a visit to a wonderful shopping emporium, especially one of the past. For years since 1876 that would have been John Wanamaker's in Philly. John Wanamaker had been there since it's inception right up to 1998 when it was taken over first by Woodward & Lothrop, followed by Hechts, Lord and Taylor and then bought out by Macys. But the end of an era is now reality for the grande dame as Macy's announced in it's store closings, this flagship is going to be shuttered. Wannamaker's had been open since 1861 in it's original location, before moving to the Market Street location in 1876, so this will mark the first time this cavernous, granite palace, that occupies a whole city block, will have it's doors shut for good. At least till the company that owns the building can figure out what will come of the building. 

When John Wanamaker's first opened on Market Street, it was 13 floors of higher end and luxury collections of clothing, designer boutiques, home furnishings, cosmetics, jewelry and a fine shoe salon. In addition, there was the in-store tailor shop, millinery shop, flower shop, bridal salon, housewares, china, and gift departments and an incredible food hall of all kinds of earthly delights. There wasn't anything this store didn't have. John Wanamaker really was a groundbreaking merchant, though the interior of his store today I'm sure looks quaintly old fashion to visitors today, not use to seeing the grand scale and elegance of the building itself. The building is incredible. Wanamaker designed the emporium to be large, grand and majestic, with a breathtaking center court and of course the crown jewel...the world's largest pipe organ on the balcony with pipes soaring two floors up, and a maze of pipes in addition behind the scenes that soar floors up and all over the building. The sound of the organ in this place sounded amazing, and at times could vibrate the building. The organ has over 28,000 pipes, and is famed for the delicate, orchestra-like beauty of it's tone, as well as it's incredible building vibrating power. It was a must to see if in Philly. He also had a had a huge cast bronze eagle that weighed in a 8 tons and had to have the floor reinforced to house it on the main floor. It often was a meeting place for many to meet in Philly and the phase, "Meet me at the Eagle" was and is still often heard.

While I am NOT a Macy fan and hate the blandness and standardization that Macy's represents in today shopping culture, I will say they did a reasonably good job of keeping the building preserved, and maintaining the elegance of the store and kept many traditions of Wanamaker's alive, unlike what they did to Marshall Fields in Chicago. I have many found memories of the store. Both sets of my great grandparents shopped there upon moving to PA, and then my maternal grandmother used to take me twice yearly to go shopping with her to Wanamaker's and Bonwit Tellers. I used to love it. Wanamaker's was just so mind blowing for a kid. We'd shop, have lunch in the legendary Crystal Tea Room, and then hear the organ. At Christmas it was even more magical, as the store would be bejeweled to the Gods, and I recall loved seeing the monorail train that would go around the whole toy department. Not to mention the spectacle of the Christmas light show, set to music.

 So, the store was always a family tradition. Even still, regular readers will know, I still go to the yearly organ concerts. That will be missed. I have also had several friends who were in visual display there and two other friends, who have been the Head Visual Manger over the whole building, including the current one, who was my boss at Bloomingdales. Needless to say he is heartbroken. Over the last two years he tried to get me to come on board as a visual stylist, but I just didn't have enough trust in Macys...especially since they owned Bloomingdales and gave everyone the ax. Talk about dodging a bullet. But I admit, it would have been incredible to have worked that location, if it had been any other luxury retailor.

Most pictures are mine... and others from the net, from over the years.

While no plans for another tenant, or what will become of the place yet is still up in the air, it has been decided this week that the organ, eagle and center court and architecture will remain, as it is all registered as historic landmarks, thank heavens. I think it would make for a great events space and concert venue for classical and jazz music, or even smaller concerts. Think Austin City Limits. At the end of the month the clan and I will go see off the organ for it's final concert...before it sleeps....at least till the building reopens in a new incarnation. Hopefully the city of Philly won't have to go to long till it hears the organ daily again.

A LARGE ORGAN

This past weekend found me again in Philadelphia for out-of-town friends, with a walk about the city, and grab some small bites and cock-a-tails all over town. It was nice to be able to get back down into town again and we made a pit stop at the old Wanamaker's Department Store, now Macy's. We timed it just right as the daily noon organ concert started back up again from the pandemic. To my surprise my ex-boss from Bloomingdales was there, it was great seeing him... and we met up with him as he is now the visual managing director for the store, and we got a wonderful behind the scenes tour of the store. Some parts of the old store have been closed off for years, like the Egyptian Room, the Crystal Tearoom and the Greek Hall. But the legend of the store has always been its world famous, building shaking organ.

Wanamaker's houses the world's largest fully functioning pipe organ, based on weight, number of ranks and playing pipes. When John Wanamaker first purchased the organ, it had been languishing in storage when it's creator, the LA Art Organ Company went bankrupt. Wanamaker bought it and it took 13 freight cars to transport it to Philadelphia as the store's crown jewel. The organ weights in total 287 tons, has 32,000 pipes, some so big, an elephant could fit in them, and some so small like a flute. The organ consists of six manuals with an array of stops and controls that command the organ. It features 88 ranks of string pipes built to Wanamaker's specifications. The organ is famed for its orchestra-like sound, coming from pipes that are voiced softer the usual allowing an unusually rich build up because of the massing of pipe-tone families. It's amazing to see it's pipes which are in an attic room of sorts, but also soar stories behind the organ. Between the pipes and bells, they are snaked all over several floors. It first played on June 22 1911 at the exact moment when British King George V was crowned. It also featured later that year when US President William Howard Taft dedicated the store. The artistic obligation entailed by the creation of this instrument has always been honored, with two curators employed in it's constant and scrupulous care, which leads to the state of one of the best maintained organs in the world. The Grand Court never tires, and is mind blowing that this is just a "department store" 

The famous eagle is also a work of art itself, which weights over 2 tons and required a special support beam under the floor.  John Wanamaker certain like to keep things small and understated I must say.

From a monumental beginning in 1904, the organ continues to amaze and delight listeners and shopper- daily, and in special show concerts year around- for visitors from all over the world. And in this clip, the late Virgil Fox, who was like the Liberace of the organ, was one of the most fun organists to play the organ. Much like Virgil, I enjoy the organ and must have played some big organs in a previous life.

BIG ORGAN

If you’ve been to Macy’s in the Wanamaker Building on Market Street, you know the Wanamaker Grand Court Organ, the largest operating musical instrument in the world. But you may not know that it recently got a face-lift — one that debuted yesterday. The restoration targeted the grand organ case, the 117 gold pipes visible above the marble balcony on the second story of the store’s Grand Court all in 22 karat gold. The pipes were repaired, smoothed, cleaned, and painted to match their original color, a warm shade of white. As traditon, the Capital Street Duo came down for the day with our friend Kalen to take in the reveal. And it was done and looked stunning.

Not only does the organ sound amazing, but we were treated to not only the talents of Peter Richard Conti, but the extremely handsome Ken Cowan also tickling the ivories. We also learned these interesting facts.

The organ as we know it today differs quite a bit from what organ architect George Ashdown Audsley designed in 1904 for the St. Louis World’s Fair. Back then, it was a mere 10,000 or so pipes. Nonetheless, when the instrument was played at the fair, it knocked plaster from the ceiling and panicked the crowd, according to Ray Biswanger, executive director of the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ.

To build the organ for the World’s Fair, it cost $105,000 — or $2,927,944 in today’s money. Unsurprisingly, it bankrupted the Los Angeles Art Organ Company, the builder tasked with its construction. It went into a warehouse after 1904 and sat there until John Wanamaker bought it in 1909, reportedly for “next to nothing.” The organ shipped to Philly on 13 train cars and took almost two years to install.

The organ was first played for the public in the Wanamaker Building on June 22, 1911, at the exact moment when King George V was crowned at the Westminster Abbey across the Atlantic Ocean.

Rodman Wanamaker, John Wanamaker’s younger son, was a bit of a spendthrift, according to Biswanger. He also loved the arts and significantly enlarged the organ — by more than 18,000 pipes, made with only the finest materials. Under his watch, the organ expanded to include a special console with six keyboards and a full strings stops section, resembling that of an orchestra’s strings section.

In 1919, the Wanamaker's invited the Philadelphia Orchestra and its illustrious conductor, Leopold Stokowski, to perform in the department store, with the organ backing them. Four such performances were given between then and 1926, and Stokowski was reportedly inspired to arrange organ works for the orchestra as a result of the collaboration. That included his transcription of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, which was eventually set to animation in 1940 in Walt Disney’s Fantasia (in which Stokowski and the orchestra were featured heavily).

The circumference of the organ’s largest pipe is so wide that a Shetland pony once posed for pictures inside it. That same pipe measures a respectable 32 feet long. The smallest pipe, in comparison, is a quarter-inch long.

Another friend of mine joined us down there for the concert, and later decided to become a living mannequin.

And it wouldn't be a mistress post if I didn't include one hottie I came across man watching. A cutie filming the event.

Some people think the organ is too big, but I always say go big or go home. 

Afterwards we spent the rest of the day in New Hope.

BIG ORGAN

Upon getting back from vacation, I was immediately out the door the next day to meet the Capital Street Duo for the Wanamaker Organ Concert with Peter Richard Conte and others musicians. If you have never been to Philadelphia, the organ is now being stewarded by Macy's, thankfully, and the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ, and is housed in the once amazing and opulent John Wanamaker Building, which was once the place to shop in it's 12 floors of luxury and quality goods in this high end department store. The store was massive and a architectural marvel in it's own right. It was a sad day indeed when it finally shuttered and Hecht's took over... and now Macy's. But the organ is quite something to see and hear. Before the concert, we arrived early to get a behind the scenes tour behind the organ which was very cool to see.

Designed by renowned organ architect, George Ashdown Audsley, and built by the Los Angeles Art Organ Company for the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, the Wanamaker Organ originally incorporated more than 10,000 pipes. The huge cost of construction was $105,000...and  actually bankrupted the builder.

Fortunately, the Organ found a new home with John Wanamaker, the Philadelphia merchant who founded the groundbreaking Wanamaker’s department store.

A firm believer in music’s capacity to benefit civic life, he purchased the organ in 1909 and had it installed over a two-year period in the palatial seven-story atrium of his Philadelphia emporium. Seeking an even bigger sound to suit its palatial proportions, Wanamaker created an on-site factory to expand the Organ and hired 40 full-time employees to add 8,000 more pipes between 1911 and 1917, and another 10,000 pipes between 1924 and 1930. With its stunning pipework, the Wanamaker Organ is capable of playing all the great organ masterworks as well as a full range of orchestral compositions—it powerfully emulates the sounds of three symphony orchestras.

Some of the larger pipes can fit a horse in them, and soar many floors high.

The Organ was first heard in the downtown Philadelphia Wanamaker’s store on June 22, 1911, just as England’s King George V was being crowned. Over the years that John Wanamaker and his son Rodman presided over their retail business, they invited some of the world’s most renowned musicians as well as the Philadelphia Orchestra to perform concerts on the Wanamaker Organ and these drew thousands of listeners to the Grand Court. Since that time, many virtuosos have made special pilgrimages here to perform on the instrument.

Only four musicians have been designated Grand Court Organists since the organ was first played in 1911. The fourth and present one, Peter Richard Conte, is presently celebrating his 25th anniversary in the role. When he’s not touring, he performs free 45-minute recitals on the Wanamaker Grand Organ, twice a day, six days a week. Other top organists take his place when he is on the road. Every year during the holidays, the Grand Court lights up with the beautiful Light Show that ends with a Christmas concert grand finale almost every day.

Today, the Organ weighs in at 287 tons, incorporates an astounding 28,500 pipes, six ivory keyboards, 729 color-coded stop tablets, 168 piston buttons (under the keyboards) and 42 foot controls. The largest pipe, made of three-inch-thick Oregon sugar pine, is more than 32 feet long and the smallest is a quarter-inch long. And while you there be sure to see the Eagle!!!

 

 As with the Organ, the Eagle was also displayed in St. Louis in 1904. Created by the German sculptor August Gaul for the German Pavilion at the St. Louis Exhibition, the bronze Eagle stands 10 feet tall, weights over 2,500lbs, and has 5,000 customized feathers – all of which were cast individually and assembled in St. Louis.

 
As one hears in Philadelphia...Meet me at the Eagle!