Ohrbach's Car Magnet

$6.99

GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.

Celebrate a name from American retail history wherever the road leads. Ohrbach's began in a fire-damaged Union Square building in 1923 and grew into a department-store chain with a notable Manhattan flagship and branches in California and New Jersey. The company’s moderate-priced clothing and ready-to-wear helped shape its identity, while later store changes marked the end of an era. This car magnet is a simple way for collectors and former shoppers to keep Ohrbach's story in view on everyday journeys.

Ohrbach's began on October 4, 1923, when Nathan M. Ohrbach and dress manufacturer Max Wiesen opened a store in a fire-damaged New York City building on Union Square. After a dispute, Ohrbach opened a nearby second store and bought Wiesen's interest in 1928. The moderate-priced retailer emphasized clothing and accessories, including ready-to-wear sold in volume, and later added men's and children's goods. In 1954, its flagship moved to West 34th Street, across from the Empire State Building. The company expanded after World War II, opening California buying offices and stores, including a Miracle Mile location in 1948 and branches in downtown Los Angeles, La Mirada, Panorama City, Cerritos, and Glendale. In 1962, Netherlands-based C.&A. Brenninkmeyer acquired an interest and eventually took full control; Nathan Ohrbach retired in 1965. The chain later came under holding company Amcena. In June 1986, Amcena acquired Howland-Steinbach and announced Ohrbach's closure. The remaining New York and New Jersey stores closed in January 1987 and reopened under the Steinbach name two months later.