Businessman. One of six children born to Bavarian immigrants in New York City, New York, as boys, he and older brother Lyman were apprenticed in their father's retail clothing store in order to learn the trade. In the 1860s, the brothers opened the Ladies' Notions Shop on the Lower East Side of Manhattan island. In 1872, from a 20 foot by 75 foot store front at 938 Third Avenue, they opened the East Side Bazaar, and rather than specializing as did most shops, they widened the range of products to include an expanded variety, including the latest European fashions. In 1876, they acquired a five-story building on the corner of 56th Street and Third Avenue and expanded into something new; a department store, delineating the sale of men's wear, ladies' wear, household goods, and so on within the single edifice. In 1886, they moved a final time, to 59th Street and Lexington Avenue. The store continued to grow, eventually encompassing an entire city block, becoming a world famous destination for tourists and shoppers. Joseph Bloomingdale retired in 1896, leaving the running of the store to his brother. He died less than a decade later at age 61.
Businessman. One of six children born to Bavarian immigrants in New York City, New York, as boys, he and older brother Lyman were apprenticed in their father's retail clothing store in order to learn the trade. In the 1860s, the brothers opened the Ladies' Notions Shop on the Lower East Side of Manhattan island. In 1872, from a 20 foot by 75 foot store front at 938 Third Avenue, they opened the East Side Bazaar, and rather than specializing as did most shops, they widened the range of products to include an expanded variety, including the latest European fashions. In 1876, they acquired a five-story building on the corner of 56th Street and Third Avenue and expanded into something new; a department store, delineating the sale of men's wear, ladies' wear, household goods, and so on within the single edifice. In 1886, they moved a final time, to 59th Street and Lexington Avenue. The store continued to grow, eventually encompassing an entire city block, becoming a world famous destination for tourists and shoppers. Joseph Bloomingdale retired in 1896, leaving the running of the store to his brother. He died less than a decade later at age 61.
Bio by: Iola
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