It’s nearing the turn of the 19th century, and the Straus Brothers now run Macy’s emporium out of a dozen cobbled together stores in lower Manhattan. The next generation of Straus’s pressure the old guard to build a huge new Macy’s flagship on 34th street, in the still seedy red light district of Herald Square. It will take some persuading. And by the time the new venture reaps its reward, the family will be famous for a new reason; the heroism of one of the store’s founding fathers and his wife on the fateful voyage of the Titanic.
Gimbels now has mammoth enterprises in Milwaukee and Philadelphia, and one of Adam’s sons also has greater ambitions. He urges the Gimbel elders to ride the wave of Macy’s high profile and build an even bigger store right on the rival’s doorstep. And when they balk, he comes up with a dastardly plan.
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it's early evening on April, fifteenth eighteen, twelve aboard the army's titanic. Some food
with forty miles off the coast of Newfoundland, this
bugler sounds the call to dinner. Other past
your turn to watch as it were, Strauss in his wife IDA, walk into the ships,
first class dining room. Is it
when his brother Nathan
can over the business from their father, Lazarus Strauss, they,
from leasing the basement of Macy's to sell
Fine glassware in China to acquiring the department store
at sixty. Seven is adores dapper in his tuxedo salt and pepper beer,
a pink carnation on his lapel,
I'd does shivering in her sleeveless black gown Isidore lifts her fuck
stole from her elbows, and
its snugly around her shoulders and gives or a playful squeeze
been married for forty years and are so
very much in love ornate scroll,
covers the walls and ceiling all painted brilliant. Why is it
catches, a whiff of roast beef in Yorkshire, pudding in the Cold sea air.
Table made on his right. Colonel Archibald, Gracie picks up
conversation they were having earlier on deck
Is it or you were saying gimbals,
brothers moody and across the street. From you is: is that hurting business efficient?
is adores retired from Macy's, but his co owner with his brother Nathan. He still very involved in day to day operation
Well, we ve had to meet gimbals discount prices to stay competitive. We try
offering a bargain department on the fifth floor, big customers are two thrilled with it
I can't imagine some of my wife's friends would be caught dead going to the cheap part of the store profit suffered. Much yes,
We took a hit this quarter. That's why I'm on the ship we book
on the left England later, but I need to get back to the store fast, my dear
husband, loves maiden voyages we haven't
looked on the New York cruise ship on its first crossing, I'm sure,
store needs you, but
its enjoy our journey, shall we Isidore picks up on Iders prompted shift the conversation
They talk about the wonders of the titanic. It sought what
Swimming pool the turkish bath and those squash courts
later, he and I take the elevators to the palm verandah for coffee
watch the younger passengers dance tonight away to the world's is played by the ship's orchestra.
Ten p m there fast.
Sleep below deck in their first class cabin care free
Neither goose down quills.
Less than two hours later allowed, riding noise and lurch of the ship awakens them IDA reaches out for her husband.
Hear what was that
Is it or reassures her here
worried.
They ve been on lots of ocean liners and, after all
everyone says this is
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round, and this is business. In the last
Besides, the Strauss brothers in their father, Lazarus went from leasing a space in May, cease to owning the department store, and they did well so well, but they drew a competitor from Philadelphia
gimble brothers. Is it or works hard at the Helm of Macy's to best competitors? He'll do
for fifteen years before he becomes a captain of industry and takes the
full voyage on the titanic.
In the meantime
there's an insurgency rising in the houses of both Strauss and gimbals. The ambitious generation coming up in both businesses wants change
Now this is episode three showdown over Manhattan.
Its eighteen. Ninety eight in Macy's deplore,
when store on Fourteenth street Manhattan a tall
women in an elaborately ruffled, hoop skirt, dress, round the corner of the Glove Department, counter and collide
with Nathan and Isidore Strauss Nathan is
your brother fifty years old. He now
forgets a customer's face, nor name
MRS Ambrose. Excuse me help clumsy of us, but Miss.
Ambrose welcomes the collision with the stores owners. She's lost
Mr Nathan, Mr Isidore, I M glad I ran into you. I want to get my
husband, o clock for his birthday. I'm gone
all over. The storm can't find the clocks,
Could you set me in the right direction? Is it or competently steps in
he's masterminded. The stores expansions resulting in a labyrinth of passages that bewilder customers
the men section across the street. It has
ties, sock, garters and bicycles, but not clocks.
MRS Ambrose? It's quite soon
you go out the sixth avenue door there
You go around the block two fourteenth street
from there you go in the door of the fourth building from the corner. You know the one that used to be Pierce is barbershop now houses our stationary department. When you
they're just go back of that. Building where there is one of our Randall
MRS Ambrose is trying to follow what is it always saying, but she can't believe it has to be this hard to get. What she wants
is this Ambrose looks more confused than ever Nathan.
Offers to escort or their later. That night.
Is it or in his family, sit down to dinner at their large rambling house on one hundred and fifty
West end Avenue manhattans. Is
His eldest son Jesse brings up his favourite subject he's twenty four Harvard graduate
and his father has only recently given him a sales position in Macy's.
But he's already gunning for management spot and its blush with ideas.
I keep telling you all. The department stores are headed, uptown, Norton Taylor
the ultimate stern brothers, all of them they make
looks like we're stuck in the last century in half of
Buildings are falling apart. Father
I spend so much money, repairing an jumble of store when we can build a new one but Isidore question
the wisdom of this mad rush northward. How far
in all this. Go that lunatic
Bloomingdale is up there on fifty nine street in the howling wilderness, but Jesse's words stick with Isidore. He can see
with his partner and brother Nathan about a move north there
scientists and Jesse and his younger brother Percy out to quietly by a properties on Harold Square,
they don't know. The area has a nickname, the tenderloin
it's three p m: on a balmy March day and night to no one on the New York Herald Clock,
Braun, statues of blacksmiths known as stuff and guff hammer
at the hour is the four Strauss
Men stroll down the street Jesse talks up their progress which,
about finished negotiating with the music hall. Clustering be out
the sign there.
Did you know that that was where Thomas Edison first projected his bidest scope motion picture.
Is it or Nathan shake their heads? They ve
were banned in this neighborhood,
ground shakes beneath their feet as an elevated train car pulled into railed station at thirty. Fourth,
Isidore is curious about the small three story: houses.
Neither side of music hall. What.
The tenants in those brownstones.
They eager to sell.
Well, that might take time
proving to be a little difficult to bring around Isidore surprise
Why is that? Just
blushes and looks down fumbling with his neck type. Well, Papa
most of the tenants women. They run
boarding houses of a sort for
women they are quite
sensitive, Thea
high value of their properties. Nathan
amused by his nephews embarrassment, but is adores clueless.
Son just tell them. There are much safer neighborhoods for women. They shouldn't.
Even be living on their own in boarding houses in big cities like New York anyway, why are they
safely at home, with their parents until they marry and have families of their own Nathan laughs. And
two Jesse's rescue, my
Air pure minded brother
plainly since Jesse can't seem to you see that young lady over there, the one walking right towards us Nathan points down
treated a wasp wasted young woman, huge ostrich
there's adorn her hat the necklace.
Redress reveals.
More than is considered proper forward daytime, where or as far
Is it or is concerned
Any woman's clothing anytime anywhere
Nor is shocked. He turns to Jesse
that's the sort of lady who lives in all these boarding houses
and knows how to handle is high minded brother is
nor think of it. This way we doing it
rate service for New York.
Clearing, Harold Square of Ladys of the night so respected
and fashionable women will flocked to shop at our store right on the
site, where brothels used to be.
A year and a half later Orange Macy's new store on Harold Square opens its doors. The move takes three days.
Pleesmen and store employees stand guard all day at every corner to prevent criminals from hygiene.
The two hundred fifty carts and wagons. A rapporteur from
your time spilled a whole page with astonishing facts about the building
stores more planks were put into and they would extend from New York, seven,
five miles beyond to Detroit. Ninety two
thousand feet of pneumatic tubes, move cash throughout the Store
three hydraulic elevators and for escalators can care.
A total of forty thousand people in our the building
has New York's first built in vacuum at an airport.
Education, the next day and
Adelphi a seventeen year old burning gimble is at the breakfast table.
With his father Isaac, president of Guinea.
Brothers Department Stores of Milwaukee in Philadelphia. He opens the newspaper and
the same times article allowed to his father.
A thousand workers, are employed inside
In addition to a restaurant, a clinic, it also has its own fire station total cost
Four million nine hundred eighty thousand dollars Bernie STAR
split down the paper and looks at his father expectantly Bernie having
gone to the famous Horton School of
business. Yet he hasn't. He
finished high school, but he's all right
burning with ambition and cultivating a taste for taking big risks. For years
Many will plead with his father and his more conservative uncles to set a business
right on Macy's doorstep in Manhattan reasoning, spread
sheets and cajoling. Do nothing
persuade the gimble seniors, but Bernie will unex,
deadly stumble upon a cunning plan to win their approval, one
It plays right to their fears,
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It's nice
no, nine, a snowy winter night near Wall Street in Manhattan, Bernie Gimble!
twenty four years old, is in doubt
an acoustic house eager,
I in his ribby slathered in mushroom sauce burnt
was a former heavyweight boxing champion in college. Handy looks it. He went
from Wharton into the family business interests
two years he rose from stock boy to vice president.
Dining companion, his, whose fathers friend Julius Rosen, while the president of Seers Robot
Mr rose and while my father's probably told you about this deal, we are working on the building.
Store Manhattan,
fifteen years, Julius rose and Wild is run, seers sales of
from seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year to upwards of fifty million.
Is burning. Your father said he in your uncle's thing. New York is too risky
but it seems you brought them around the idea
and I see they ve taken out or lease on some property. Their hero square Bernie takes a sip of cabernet.
Find out there's a twist. We haven't
opportunity to buy the lot, but they say they still want to lease Judy
If we buy the interest on, the loan would be less than the rent, but my
uncles, won't budge, they say. Gimbals brothers are not in the real estate game. Julius looks at Bernie
wondering where this is going. Bernie presses on
the thing is nearly all the big names are heading to Herald Square.
The Pennsylvania railroad, is about to open a big station. Just a couple blocks away Julius Knowledge,
quick with numbers and has a firm grasp of the city's retail scene
yes, with Macy's as the anchor of arrows square is not
at bigger gamble fail
If I was sure we'd add brick and mortar to our mail order, business anytime soon, I'd buy that land myself Bernice forks
in MID air way
Did you just say you? U why Julius Lapse
I sit snapped up.
Having Macy's on your doorstep, like that you can
by that kind of publicity or draw anywhere for any price. Bernie puts down his fork. He has an idea
Mr Rosing. Well, would
you'll be willing to tell my father that if he doesn't jump on this deal, seers might be interested. You know
casually drop it in conversation. Not even mention me
Louis rose and Wild gives Bernie and praising look here.
Keen on stretching the truth, but he's
true deal maker
He knows as savvy mover in shaker when he sees one
right now he's pretty sure he's looking at a genius.
Bernie Gimbals ploy works.
Fall of nineteen ten gimbals,
funds are new ten story, tall, seventeen million dollar emporium, with a million square feet of floorspace and seven thousand employees. A block of
way from Macy's the race
with Macy's is on
though the Strauss's don't seem threatened
Is it or Nathan Strauss welcome gimbals brothers with an ad in the New York Times they figure with their feet.
Two year head start they can have
were to be gracious times.
Good for the Strauss's in nineteen ten, but they won't be. For long
it's one, a dot m April 15th, one thousand nine hundred and twelve on the upper deck of the titanic
Band continues to play the calm, worried passengers waiting to board the unsinkable ships. Few lifeboats,
IDA, Isidore Strauss or in line four lifeboat. Eight
The situation is more serious than they thought when it's there,
turn Isidore helps IDA aboard and then steps back confused. She calls out
Aren't you coming Isidore? No, I can't it's impossible.
I did scrambled out of the boat again and Russia's back
Is it were side
Where you are, I will be I'm staying with you.
Two were made and takes off her fur coat Ellen
I we need this anymore, you take it and go
minutes late, panic remembers: lower lifeboat, eight with thirty nine passengers. It's only half
friends, implore Isidore aided aboard the last remaining boats, but they refuse
its clear now that there are not enough lifeboats for the many left on the water right,
the last wooden boat is about to launch, is adored?
eggs IDA in his arms and begs her
Save herself, please
please get into the boat shivering she's
folks, his cheek and calmly refuses is a door
I have lived with you for forty years. I have loved you
and I would rather die with you-
then live without you as the lifeboat strip.
The way in the dark waters passage
can still see the couple
standing silently alongside the rail of the now badly tilting ship
their arms around each other's wastes. Nathan,
Strauss never recovers from the depths of his brother and sister in law within a year
He sells his interest in Macy's too, is adores three sons, this
second generation of Strauss brothers are now
the helm of New York's top grossing retail juggernaut me.
She's comfortable lead over gimbals is shrinking and with it
symbol, brothers perched on their doorstep. The strategies will face
more hard times ahead. On the next episode,
in the roaring twenties money flows freely for luxuries, but bargains
or a harder cell
gimbals, merges with swampy sacks Fifth avenue
Macy's has to scramble to compete, and then the stock,
crash blind sides, the gimbals, Strauss's and the country
from wondering-
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Transcript generated on 2019-12-23.