B. Altman & Company
Filed for bankruptcy and closed all stores in 1989.
Benjamin Altman built B. Altman & Company into one of New York's grand carriage-trade department stores, opening a palazzo-style flagship on Fifth Avenue at 34th Street in 1906 that helped move upscale retail uptown. Known for refined service and a famous holiday windows tradition, Altman's was long owned by a charitable foundation. A leveraged sale in the 1980s loaded the company with debt it couldn't carry, and B. Altman closed in 1989.
Known For
- Fifth Avenue carriage-trade flagship
- Elegant holiday windows
- Long owned by a charitable foundation