Merchant Princes An Intimate History of Jewish Families Who Built Great Department Stores

Tells the fascinating stories of America's great Jewish storekeeping families -- the Filenes of Boston, the Riches of Atlanta, the Marcuses of Dallas & the Strauses of NY, among others -- & how they rose from ordinary peddlers to keepers of general stores on the frontier, to creators of sumptuous retail emporiums. Describes the immigrants' first attempts at street peddling & vividly recreates the atmosphere of the frontier era when a Jewish storekeeper was often the only Jewish person in a remote town. Gives a view of the social revolution that ensued when thousands of women became buyers for department stores, gaining newfound status & independence.Harris, Leon is the author of 'Merchant Princes An Intimate History of Jewish Families Who Built Great Department Stores' with ISBN 9780756757908 and ISBN 0756757908.