Smith’s Department Store – 1954

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• Great post and great discussion. My wife and I are constantly appalled at the lack of taste that seems to continue to dominate our fair city. Take for example the styrofoam/stucco refacing that keeps going up on top of brick structures in the name of urban renewal and cosmetic architectural facelifts. One of the best examples was when they redid the old Tepperman's on Ottawa Street. They pulled down the old aluminum (the 70's brand of renewal) to reveal this amazing, yellow brick structure. Then up went the styrofoam. The buildings all end up looking like birthday cakes with these arbitrary circles and squares slapped on to break up the monotonous surface.

  I'm sorry, but where else do you see this reckless and rampant erasure of architecture? Our city leaders are reticent to impose any kind of resrictions and the result is just bad, shoddy refacing - or worse. We don't need a council that restricts to the point of creating a gated community - but you do need to have some kind of role in shaping and defining the feature that define your city. Imagine if Chicago had decided to put aluminum up on the water tower.

• I worked at Smith's in the display department under the direction of Eugene Harvey in the early 1970's. We did windows worthy of Fifth Avenue, where I endedeup doing illustrations for Bonwit Teller. I loved my creative time at Smith's. Windsor lost a lot when they closed that great old store!
  Jeffrey Beuglet

• I also loved Smiths and consider it a part of my youth. Bartlette's, too, because we'd visit Smiths, go out a back door near the sewing notions, I think, cross the alley and go in Bartlette's back door. I can almost smell the wood of the floor by that back door onto the alley, to hear the soft sound of our footsteps on wood worn down by traffic and weather blowing in.

  My grandmother once watched an ironing demonstration at Smiths, circa 1935, where she learned an effective way to iron a man's shirt. She taught that method to my mom, who taught it to me, and I've taught it to my husband and my daughter. I would have taught my son, too, but it seems I lost the iron by the time he was old enough. Still haven't found it ;-)

  I've seen some comments mention that Windsor needs a downtown department store, but I didn't see a mention of Steinbergs, which was supposed to fill that niche and bring shoppers back downtown. It was a huge, concrete thing with escalators, although I don't remember very much about it.

• Lavender sachets @ Christmas circa 1960`s

• Smith's was a really nice store, I worked there doing display windows. I miss the friendly staff.
  Jeffrey Detroit

• my dad, leon busko took me and my brother to smiths. i was 5 years old, my brother was three. best picture sitting on Santas lap anyone would want. still have it today. smiths is gone, but i have the picture.

• what did the C H stand for?

• C = Clarence
  H = ?

• I worked in the display Department on the top floor of C. H, Smiths Department store after coming back from studying sculpture in Toronto at OCA now OCAD. To get to the display dept. you entered the Pitt street entrance, across the store to a grand stairway to the elevators. You would punch the time clock with a card with your name on (the size of a business envelope) insert it vertically into the machine and it would mark your arrival time and when you left you did the same thing.

  The elevator doors had a metal diagonal patterned grid expansion door in front of them that swished and squeaked as you opened and closed it. Then the solid main doors would be there. There was an attendant for the customers. Our door to display had no attendant and you had to press the button to get the elevator or we may have had a key, then up or down you went…to the floor # that you wanted, I think we were on 3 or the topmost floor. When you got there you put the brake on, evened up the elevator to the floor so it was level and step across. It was a little creepy. I have had many dreams about this. Often in my dream I would be in Toronto or elsewhere.

  There was a letterpress sign machine that we used for the posters and adverts. This was one of my jobs. I had been trained in layout and design at Meinzinger’s Art School in Detroit. The letters were metal and on top of a wooden block. I would look at the copy or text, pickup the letters which were reversed visually, place them in order with spaces for end of sentences or indented paragraphs, they would be locked in place, inked up, cardstock on top and pressed and then pull the finished poster off the type. We had a huge guillotine that would cut the paper to size.

  My first day on the job they had a dish with water on the set up bed and they said look Dianne you can see the type lice…so I did as they splashed me with water and had a great laugh.

  The prop department was so wonderful. They had everything you could imagine and books of prestige displays done in the U.S.A. We had our own phone. I worked with Mr. Pinnegar. He designed the ads for the Windsor Star newspaper and managed the department. The photos for the ads were converted to metal plates which just fascinated me as did all the props and different uses for them.

  It was much fun and gave direction to the fashion sense my mom who loved materials of all colours and textures and patterns taught me. It was assimilated. From a young age I would be sent to buy her threads at Bogins 2 blocks away at Campbell Avenue. It was across the street from the drug store and the shoemaker.

  When Mr. Pinnegar found out I did sculpture he had me design a prestige window for Christmas which was quite a hit and was featured in the Windsor Star with an article and photos and later when Mr. Pinnegar retired it was mentioned again as one of his most interesting displays.

  Smiths was a marvellous store and had many display areas. They did have a Santa and special displays through the seasons.

• That's a fabulous story Dianne, thanks for posting it.