Zukor’s clothing store, 611 Broadway, downtown L.A. (1931)

Posted on August 24, 2014 by

https://www.martinturnbull.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Zukors-clothing-store-611-Broadway-downtown-L.A.-1931.pngYou’d be excused for assuming that a clothing store called Zukor’s at 611 Broadway in downtown L.A. was connected to Adolph Zukor, the founder of Paramount Pictures. Especially considering the store was next door to the greatest movie palace in town—the Los Angeles Theater. But apparently not. At least not as far as I’ve been able to determine. All I could find on it that Zukor’s was a national women’s clothing chain. In most other towns, that name probably didn’t mean much, but in Los Angeles I would imagine they got a lot of traffic! This photo was taken in 1931.

Barbara says “My father was the manager of Zukor’s. The store was very elegant. The dressing rooms were gorgeous. When entering the store the wrapping desk was on the right. And all the dressing rooms were individual in the various corners of the store. Wonderfully attentive saleswomen who were all there forever, like my father. My father’s name was Sidney Kaplan and he managed the San Francisco store on Market street forever but worked in Sacramento and LA too. He was a very handsome gentleman.”

Doug says: “I remember my mother taking me in tow at the age of 4 or 5 years to Zukor’s every now and then. I am 60 today. The store was very elegant, as were the staff and all of the apparel for sale. I can still remember the fragrance of perfume as you would enter the store from Broadway, which had quite a different aroma. Every dress, from the simplest to the most extravagant, was elegant. What I enjoyed most of our trips downtown from our home in Oxford Square was that we would go to Zukor’s, then to Clifton’s for a meal. I still occasionally catch that unique fragrance in the air, and memories of my mother and Zukor’s vividly come to mind.”

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12 responses to “Zukor’s clothing store, 611 Broadway, downtown L.A. (1931)”

  1. Linda Taubenreuther says:
    December 1, 2016 at 12:23 pm

    Zukor’s was run by retail magnate Benjamin Zukor, about whom there’s little information. I only know this much because BZ is mentioned in the description of a home the famous architect Paul Williams built for him in 1937 in Pacific Palisades.

    Reply
  2. JOHN H SCHWEITZER says:
    January 7, 2017 at 1:35 pm

    My father was manager of Zukor’s in NYC, Portland and then San Diego (College Grove), after returning from the Korean War in 1954. I am trying to get more information from my mother at the time of writing this reply.

    Reply
    • Wendy says:
      March 7, 2023 at 7:17 am

      My grandmother worked for several years at the San Diego location at what was know as College Grove Center.

      Reply
      • John H Schweitzer says:
        May 7, 2023 at 1:18 pm

        Depending on the year(s) she worked at that store, they must have known each other. He was the manager in the 1960s until the early 70s.

        Reply
  3. Patty Castañeda says:
    April 28, 2021 at 10:15 pm

    Was there a Zukors in West Covina, Ca.?

    Reply
  4. gloriaflores8817@comcast.net says:
    May 22, 2021 at 6:38 pm

    There was a Zukors in Stockton, Ca., everything was elegant, the store, the women, dresses. I bought several beautiful dresses from there…I was 16 or 17 yrs., old. Sweet memories.

    Reply
  5. Ruth Enany says:
    June 17, 2022 at 8:35 pm

    Ben and Betty Zukor are my maternal grandparents. I’d love to know what you know about Zukor’s history

    Reply
  6. Ken Gould says:
    June 22, 2022 at 2:56 am

    I remember as a boy visiting the Zukor’s store in San Jose, California. My uncle was the manager of that store, having started out after the war working in the Zukor’s in Los Angeles. He and my aunt were close friends of Charlie Zukor, the owner of the store, and his wife Ethel. On occasion we would go up to Charlie and Ethel’s house in the summertime to swim in their pool. They lived in a beautiful, modern home in either Trousdale or Belair. It was definitely the most luxurious home I’d ever been to. This would have been in the early 60’s, and the home was likely built around then, given the open plan design and large picture windows on the patio side that brought the outside in. They had two children as I recall, both teenagers at the time. I recall the whole family being quite generous and unassuming, and fun loving, though I do remember Ethel more than Charlie. I think he worked hard many hours at the store. She had a stupendous collection of Steuben glassware which she prized.

    Reply
  7. Karen Asaro says:
    May 5, 2023 at 3:19 pm

    My husband and I just celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary. I bought my wedding dress at Zukors in San Jose, CA…lovely memories.

    Reply

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