From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bullocks Wilshire
(U.S. National Register of Historic Places)
Bullocks Wilshire from the street
Location:	Los Angeles, California  United States
Built/Founded:	1929
Added to NRHP:	May 25, 1978

Bullocks Wilshire, located at 3050 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, is a 230,000-square foot (21 400 m²) Art Deco building.

Designed by Los Angeles architects John and Donald Parkinson, the building is noted for its 241-foot (73 m) tower whose top is sheathed in copper, tarnished green. It was completed in 1929 as a luxury department store for owner John G. Bullock (owner of the more mainstream Bullock's). At one time, the tower peak had a light that could be seen for miles around. In the early 70's, this sub-division of Bullock's dropped its apostrophe and began opening separate branch locations so as to separate its decidedly luxury identity from its larger yet more upper-moderate/better parent.

The department store served the upper crust of Los Angeles society. In its heyday, Bullocks Wilshire patrons included Mae West, John Wayne, Marlene Dietrich, Alfred Hitchcock, Greta Garbo, Clark Gable. While struggling to become an actress, Angela Lansbury worked here as a clerk and it was at the store's Custom Salon that Irene Lentz began designing costumes for stars to wear that led to an illustrious career in costume design with MGM. From his studio, next to the Chanel department, Neil Gittings photographed Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, George Bush Jr., Madam Roy Disney and many other celebreties who frequented Bullocks Wilshire.

Bullocks Wilshire from the rear

Over the years, a shift by other luxury stores and boutiques to the west of the city resulted in the primary Bullocks Wilshire trading area's fall, yet the main store held on as a destination until 1988, when it began its own precipitous decline, hastened under operation by its final owners, Macy's, who had acquired the chain from the Campeau Corporation. The Wilshire Boulevard store, which suffered severe damage from looting during the 1992 Rodney King riots, closed in 1993 with legal battles ensuing as Macy's stripped the store of its historic artifacts, furnishings and fixtures for other locations (bowing to pressure, almost all the 1929 fixtures were returned). Its locations had been converted around 1990 to I. Magnin, a San Francisco-based luxury chain which in turn was shuttered by Federated Department Stores in January 1995 upon its acquisition of Macy's.

In 1994, the building was acquired by Southwestern Law School - its long-time neighbor. The school restored the building to it original 1929 state, as well adapted the building for use as an integral part of the school (adaptive reuse). A historic-cultural monument of the City of Los Angeles, on May 25, 1978 it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as No.78000685.

Cover of the 1996 history

• Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MSA
  • Wilshire Boulevard (freestanding) (flagship), Los Angeles (Wilshire Center), (opened 1929, became I. Magnin in 1990)
  • The Shops at Palos Verdes (now The Avenue of the Peninsula) Palos Verdes (opened 1970s, became I. Magnin in 1990)
  • The Promenade at Woodlands Hills Men's Store (now Westfield Promenade), L.A. (Woodland Hills) (opened 1970s, became I. Magnin in 1990)
• Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA
  • Palm Desert Town Center (now Westfield Palm Desert), Palm Desert (opened 1987 in former Bonwit Teller, became I. Magnin in 1990)
  • Palm Springs (freestanding), Palms Springs (opened 1947, became I. Magnin in 1990)
• San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos MSA
  • La Jolla Village Square, San Diego (La Jolla) (opened 1980, became I. Magnin in 1990)
• Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine MSA
  • Fashion Island, Newport Beach (opened 1970s, became I. Magnin in 1990)

• Southwestern's Official page about the Bullocks Wilshire building, complete with virtual tour and historic pictures
• National Register of Historic Places listing
• A history of the Bullocks Wilshire by author Margaret Leslie Davis (ISBN 0-9643119-3-3)