Joske's Ceramic Ornament
Round / One size
$15.99
Sale price
$15.99
Regular price
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Honor a cherished piece of Texas retail history with this Joske's ceramic ornament. The company began in San Antonio in 1867, when Julius Joske opened a store that would grow into a landmark department-store chain. Its downtown flagship, remembered as The Big Store, became a distinctive part of city life and shopping traditions, with notable milestones in store design and customer experience. As the business expanded and later passed to a successor retailer, the Joske's name remained a link to local memories and a changing era of American commerce.
German immigrant Julius Joske founded a San Antonio store in 1867. After selling it in 1873 and returning to San Antonio that year, he opened J. Joske and Sons on Austin Street; the business later moved to Alamo Plaza as Joske Brothers. In 1887 it moved to the corner of Alamo and Commerce Streets. Expanded over the following decades, the flagship became known as The Big Store: in 1936 it was Texas's first fully air-conditioned store, and a 1939 renovation added an Art Deco facade and the first escalators in a Texas store. The chain expanded beyond downtown San Antonio, reaching Houston in 1948 and opening a second San Antonio store in 1957. In 1928 Hahn Department Stores acquired Joske's; Hahn joined Allied Stores three years later. Joske's acquired Wolff and Marx in 1965, and Allied's Dallas stores adopted the Joske's name in 1979. Allied combined the Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio divisions in 1985. After Campeau acquired Allied in 1986, it sold Joske's to Dillard's in 1987, and the stores were converted to Dillard's. The downtown San Antonio building later had multiple uses; Dillard's closed there in 2008.
Joske's Ceramic Ornament
$15.99
Sale price
$15.99
Regular price
Honor a cherished piece of Texas retail history with this Joske's ceramic ornament. The company began in San Antonio in 1867, when Julius Joske opened a store that would grow into a landmark department-store chain. Its downtown flagship, remembered as The Big Store, became a distinctive part of city life and shopping traditions, with notable milestones in store design and customer experience. As the business expanded and later passed to a successor retailer, the Joske's name remained a link to local memories and a changing era of American commerce.
German immigrant Julius Joske founded a San Antonio store in 1867. After selling it in 1873 and returning to San Antonio that year, he opened J. Joske and Sons on Austin Street; the business later moved to Alamo Plaza as Joske Brothers. In 1887 it moved to the corner of Alamo and Commerce Streets. Expanded over the following decades, the flagship became known as The Big Store: in 1936 it was Texas's first fully air-conditioned store, and a 1939 renovation added an Art Deco facade and the first escalators in a Texas store. The chain expanded beyond downtown San Antonio, reaching Houston in 1948 and opening a second San Antonio store in 1957. In 1928 Hahn Department Stores acquired Joske's; Hahn joined Allied Stores three years later. Joske's acquired Wolff and Marx in 1965, and Allied's Dallas stores adopted the Joske's name in 1979. Allied combined the Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio divisions in 1985. After Campeau acquired Allied in 1986, it sold Joske's to Dillard's in 1987, and the stores were converted to Dillard's. The downtown San Antonio building later had multiple uses; Dillard's closed there in 2008.
| Heart | Round | |
| Diameter, in | 3.21 | 2.80 |
Product features
- 100% white ceramic construction — strong and durable
- Double-sided print with matte finish option
- Golden hanging string included
- UV-decorated for lasting color
- Available in white or gold gift packaging (single ornament per pack)
Care instructions
- Use a microfiber cloth to gently remove any dust or dirt build-up. Avoid harsh chemicals or cleaners. Instead, dampen a cotton wool swab in warm water (just a few drops per liter of water) and gently roll the swab over the ornament and refrain from scrubbing