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Jan. 27, 1947. "Kartch's, business on Main Street in Paterson, New Jersey. Interior, to rear." Witness to one of midcentury design's favorite mashups, the trapezoid and the amoeba. Large-format negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size.
Actually a good design as it maximizes floor space under the hanging clothing. My ponderment is this - WHAT was the sitting area required for in a childrens department?? Did the store sponsor some sort of employee's child after school? Chair, lighted desk area, etc.
[Presumably for more comfortable perusing of smaller items. -tterrace]
Looks like the children's department, with jackets for the boys, dresses for the girls, and some stuffed toys to play with.
But what impresses me the most is the SPACE the store has allocated for the customer to move around in while perusing their selections. I remember stores like this that my mom took me to in the early 50's; getting a new suit for Easter in stores like Robert Hall, Gertz, Alexanders etc. in Queens County.
Today's stores jam stuff in every available inch of space, and you can't even browse without jostling other customers. If I found a store like this today, I would be a regular.
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