A reader recently emailed me to ask if I’d ever come across a store on Hollywood Boulevard called Nancy’s, which she remembers going to with her mother. I hadn’t so I went looking and found this photo. Nancy’s was at 6366 Hollywood Boulevard, a few blocks west of Vine Street. What I like about this photo is that it shows the Boulevard as a busy, thriving shopping street with I Magnin & Co a littler farther down the block, and the Broadway department store on the Hollywood and Vine corner. And of course – my favorite detail – a semaphore street light at the Cahuenga Blvd corner!
Nancy’s in the old I Magnin building at 6340 Hollywood Boulevard 1957:
Supplied dresses for the Danny Thomas Show in the 1950s.
Did they really, Paul? Thanks for sharing that!
I worked at Nancy’s in 1948 in their merchandise office. It was a very impressive operation run by women, with the exception of the male
merchandise manager. Al of the buyers were women and were always
present in the store unless on a buying trip in NYC. The customers included the wives of celebrities and were treated to spacious dressing rooms. They sold fur coats and had a storage area for customer’s coats when it was not the season. A separate jewelry and cosmetics department
with its own entrance. The store was amazing.
Marilyn Hopkins, Carmel, CA
Hello Marilyn! Thanks for stopping by and especially for taking the time to share your experience with us. How unusual it must have been to work in a (nearly) all-women run business. It sounds like a wonderful place to work. I don’t suppose you have any photo of the interior of the store?
Hello, My mother was a floor model at Nancy’s. My Grandmother allowed her to work there because it was mostly women. Mom said from time to time pictures were taken, I was looking for a way to track that down. My mother was beautiful, she modeled bathing suits and underwear. Early 1940s. Please feel free to offer any advice, mom lost her things after her first husband divorced her. She was heart broken, I’d like to have something for her grandbabies and great grandbabies.
Love and light.
Hey Zorha, and thanks for stopping by. Maybe someone seeing this posting might have something for you.
I was watching an episode of Ozzie and Harriet where Ozzie returns Harriet’s lingerie. It showed the outside of the store Nancy’s and I thought it was a mock name. It’s nice to see it was an actual store. You learn something every day.
Yes, Nancy’s was real. I wonder if they got a boost in sales from their cameo?!