White Front Ceramic Coffee Mug
11oz
$12.99
Sale price
$12.99
Regular price
Skip to product information
GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.
Start the day with a reminder of White Front’s place in western retail history. The company began in 1929 as Harry Blackman’s small grocery on South Central Avenue in Los Angeles. After World War II, the business expanded into household appliances, adopted the White Front Stores name in 1954, and grew across three states. This ceramic coffee mug honors that journey from neighborhood market to regional chain, making it a fitting choice for former customers and collectors of department store history.
White Front began in 1929 as Harry Blackman’s small White Front Market on South Central Avenue in Florence, Los Angeles. Starting with groceries, the business added radios and household appliances, then opened a major-appliance shop after Blackman returned from military service following World War II. By 1954 it was known as White Front Stores, with a broader range of goods. A second store opened in Van Nuys in 1957. Interstate Department Stores acquired the two-store chain in April 1959 and financed rapid expansion across California. White Front later opened stores in Washington, beginning in Seattle in 1967, and in Portland, Oregon, in 1970. At its mid-1972 peak, the chain had 37 stores in three states. Interstate announced in December 1972 that 21 stores would close; the remaining discount stores and appliance centers closed after Interstate sought Chapter 11 reorganization in May 1974. Former locations passed to a range of retailers, including Valu-Mart/Leslie’s, J.C. Penney’s The Treasury, Gold Circle, and Mervyn’s. Some independent pharmacies retained the White Front name, but were unrelated to the former chain.
White Front Ceramic Coffee Mug
$12.99
Sale price
$12.99
Regular price
Start the day with a reminder of White Front’s place in western retail history. The company began in 1929 as Harry Blackman’s small grocery on South Central Avenue in Los Angeles. After World War II, the business expanded into household appliances, adopted the White Front Stores name in 1954, and grew across three states. This ceramic coffee mug honors that journey from neighborhood market to regional chain, making it a fitting choice for former customers and collectors of department store history.
White Front began in 1929 as Harry Blackman’s small White Front Market on South Central Avenue in Florence, Los Angeles. Starting with groceries, the business added radios and household appliances, then opened a major-appliance shop after Blackman returned from military service following World War II. By 1954 it was known as White Front Stores, with a broader range of goods. A second store opened in Van Nuys in 1957. Interstate Department Stores acquired the two-store chain in April 1959 and financed rapid expansion across California. White Front later opened stores in Washington, beginning in Seattle in 1967, and in Portland, Oregon, in 1970. At its mid-1972 peak, the chain had 37 stores in three states. Interstate announced in December 1972 that 21 stores would close; the remaining discount stores and appliance centers closed after Interstate sought Chapter 11 reorganization in May 1974. Former locations passed to a range of retailers, including Valu-Mart/Leslie’s, J.C. Penney’s The Treasury, Gold Circle, and Mervyn’s. Some independent pharmacies retained the White Front name, but were unrelated to the former chain.
| 11oz | 15oz | |
| Height, in | 3.74 | 4.61 |
| Diameter, in | 3.15 | 3.43 |
Product features
- Microwave-safe for quick reheats
- Dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup
- Available in 11oz and 15oz sizes
- Glossy white ceramic with vibrant, long-lasting print
- Lead- and BPA-free, comfortable C-handle
Care instructions
- Clean in dishwasher or wash by hand with warm water and dish soap