4 replies to this topic

[Shadow Wave]

This picture, dated March 3, 1946, appeared a few days ago on the historical photo website Shorpy.

Caption is "Foyer, Eversharp Inc., Empire State Building, New York. Raymond Loewy Associates, client."




The above is just a preview, which the Shorpy terms of use allow to be reposted, but for the full effect check out the full size version at the link!

Eversharp lobby 1946

Comments? Are you surprised they were retailing pen sets in their lobby?

We know that Raymond Loewy Associates designed the postwar Eversharp Symphony, but this suggests the company had a relationship with him for several years.

Edited by Shadow Wave, 17 May 2013 - 07:54 PM.

[BrianMcQueen]

Wow that's really neat. Thank you for sharing!

I don't know if they were selling the pen sets, per se. Perhaps they were just there for display.

[Shadow Wave]

I don't know if they were selling the pen sets, per se. Perhaps they were just there for display.

There's a cash register, though. I don't know why it would be there otherwise, unless they had candy and cigars under the counter.

I suppose in a big office building with umpty thousand workers there must have been some retail establishments. It doesn't look like they were catering to stenographers or anything like that, however.

[wekiva98]

The Empire State Building was/is a prestigious address where a lot of well-known companies with business in New York would want to have a presence. (Wahl's headquarters was in Chicago, as I remember it.) I'm betting this office was primarily a sales staff office/showroom that had a cash register for routine business purposes -- in case someone bought something, of course, but also to handle petty cash needs.

Edited by wekiva98, 18 May 2013 - 09:58 PM.

[Teej47]

Perhaps the cash register was made by the Wahl Adding Machine Company?

Tim