Mandel Bros. Buildings
Life Span: 1898-1910 & 1911-Present
Location: NE Corner of State and Madison Streets
Architect: Holabird & Roche
Inter Ocean, October 30, 1910
One of the most imposing department stores in the city, a mammoth fifteen story $2,000,000 structure, will arise at the corner of Madison and State streets, the busiest corner in the world, early in 1911. The entire Building will be devoted to the use of Mandel Bros. A permit for the building was taken out yesterday, and plans have already been drawn.
The real estate values involve will probably exceed all transactions yet recorded in loop district property. The various negotiations include a lease for the northeast corner of State and Madison streets from the Marshall Field estate for ninety-nine years. As near as can be learned, the rental starts at $50,000 per year, with an increase from time to time that will bring the final rental up to $60,000 per year. This property faces fifty-three feet on State street and 150 feet on Madison street.
The adjoining forty-eight feet on State street has been secured in fee simple by Mandel Bros. The deed has not yet appeared on record, and the consideration is not accurately known, but reliable authorities place at slightly under a million dollars. The next forty-eight feet to the north has been owned by the Mandels for some time.
Having purchased all the interests of the Rutter estate in the land at the northwest corner of Wabash avenue frontage occupied by them.
The new building will cover the same ground space as the present one, 150 feet on State street, and an equal distance on Madison, extending to Holden court. Its height will be 247 feet above grade, with three stories below the ground level. In the construction, 12,000 tons of steel will be used. It is expected that the spacious structure will be completed in time for the fall opening of 1911.
Mandel Brothers Buildings
Sanborn Fire Map
1906
Mandel Buildings
1909
Mandel Buildings
1910
Chicago Tribune, December 24, 1911
One of Chicago’s landmarks, the Mandel Brothers building at State and Madison streets will be turned over to wrecking contractors on Tuesday. The structure is a relic of 1875 and is an excellent example of what was considered beauty in architecture at that time. The building is to give way to the remaining half of a new fifteen story building, the first half of which was dedicated to business last September.
The east side of State Street from Washington to Madison, with (left to right) the Columbus Memorial Building, Chas. A. Stevens, and Mandel Brothers.
Christmas shoppers pass by the Mandel Bros. store causing a traffic jam at the corner of State and Madison streets in the Loop in December 1952.
Chicago Tribune, April 14, 1955
Mandel Brothers, Inc., one of Chicago’s famous department stores, enters its 100th anniversary celebration with infinite and unbounded faith in the future of State street as the midwest’s greatest shopping center, Henry Stoll, president, said yesterday.
All plans of the big store, which twice rose from ashes of fires in its first century, revolve around a greater State st. operation, said Stoll in an interview.
Mandel’s was the first Chicago store to have special shops for foreign goods, the first to open a children’s barber shop, and the first Chicago to display apparel on models.
Expects Roads to Aid.
Still’s optimism springs from the belief that super-highways under construction to link the Loop with suburban areas will bring more shoppers to State st. with its compact and wide selection of merchandise.
A large birthday cake was cut by Stoll yesterday during an employee salute to the store. More than 1,000 employees took part in the ceremony at noon in the employee’s restaurant.
It was one of several parties thruout the store. Aiding Stoll in the cake cutting were employees with more than 50 years of service.
LEFT: Mandel Building being cleaned
RIGHT: Mandel Building Entrance
1960
A Theme in Flowers.
This morning Mandel’s opens its 5 million dollar, 100th anniversary sale, which centers around a fresh flower theme. The theme was inspired by a tradition common in the British isles, where stores install flower boxes on their window ledges in the spring.
Mandel’s has placed 160 feet of flower boxes near the second floor level of the State st. side of its store at State and Madison sts., one of the world’s most famous business corners.
The display will be maintained to the the end of the store’s centennial year with plantings changing with the seasons. Inside, the first floor will have ledge displays of thousands of cut flowers and plants under lighted canopies.
Always Under Mandels.
In its 100 years, the Mandel store has remained under leadership of the Mandel family. The Mandel name first came into the title of a Chicago company in 1855.
In that year a dry goods business in Clark st. operated by Simon Klein became Klein & Mandel. After the death of Klein, his nephews, the four Mandel brothers, Solomon, Leon, Emanuel, and Simon, established in 1865 the partnership which brought them renown as merchants.
When the present Loop store was built in 1912, the founding brothers were dead and management was in the hands of the second generation, foremost of whom was Frederick Leon Mandel, eldest son of Leon Mandel.
Leon Mandel, son of Frederick, is the present chairman. Fred L. Mandel, Jr., Leon’s brother is secretary. Edwin F. Mandel, son of Emanuel, is honorary chairman.
In November, 1952, Mandel’s opened a $500,000 branch store in Lincoln Village shopping center, Lincoln and Devon avs. As part of its 100th year Mandel opened on a permanent basis a home furnishings branch at 425 N. Michigan av. last March 7.
Without detracting from the importance and probable growth of the two branches, the important nucleus of Mandel’s grtowth still will be State ., said Stoll.
Family from Bavaria
The Mandel family came to Chicago from the little town of Kerzenheim, Bavaria, Germany.
In 1870 the brothers built a three story building at Harrison and State sts., which was destroyed by the great Chicago fire of 1871, rebuilt and destroyed by fire again in 1874.
Mandel’s opened for business the day after the 1871 fire in a converted cigar store they bought at 22d st. and Michigan av.
Chicago Tribune, August 20, 1960
Chicago Tribune, April 7, 1983
Chicago Tribune, June 10, 1987
Mandel’s Store
NE Corner State and Madison
1928
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