Rich's: A Southern Institution

by Jeff Clemmons

Overview

In 1867, less than three years after the Civil War left the city in ruins, Hungarian Jewish immigrant Morris Rich opened a small dry goods store on what is now Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta.

Over time, his brothers Emanuel and Daniel joined the business; within a century, it became a retailing dynasty. Join historian Jeff Clemmons as he traces Rich's 137-year history. For the first time, learn the true stories behind Penelope Penn, Fashionata, The Great Tree, the Pink Pig, Rich's famous coconut cake and much more, including how events at the downtown Atlanta store helped John F. Kennedy become America's thirty-fifth president. With an eye for accuracy and exacting detail, Clemmons recounts the complete history of this treasured southern institution.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609491918
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	08/07/2012
Series:	Landmarks
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	634,075
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Jeff Clemmons has lived in Atlanta for more than a quarter century. He created and leads walking tours of the Midtown and SoNo districts for the Atlanta Preservation Center, and he serves on the board of the APC's auxiliary group CIRCA, which offers its members private tours of some of metropolitan Atlanta's most interesting historical structures.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 9

A Few Words Before 13

Introduction, Migration 15

Part I Partnerships (1867-1901)

1 M. Rich & Co. (1867-1877) 23

2 M. Rich & Bro. (1877-1884) 27

3 M. Rich & Bros. (1884-1901) 32

Part II M. Rich & Bros. Co. (1901-1929)

4 Merchant Princes Incorporated (1900s and 1910s) 43

5 Palace of Commerce (1920s) 53

Penelope Penn 59

Rich Bits 62

Part III Rich's, Inc.-Family Controlled (1929-1976)

6 Money Matters (1930s) 69

7 Giving Rich's (1940s) 76

The Magnolia Room 78

The Rich Foundation 80

Fashionata 84

The Great Tree 93

8 Store of Tomorrow (1950s) 102

Rich's of Atlanta: The Story of a Store Since 1867 106

Rich's Knoxville 107

The Lovett Show 111

The Snowball Express/The Pink Pig 112

9 One Hundred Years Building (1960s) 121

Knoxville Sit-ins 121

Atlanta Sit-ins 124

Import Shows 134

Dear Store: An Affectionate Portrait of Rich's 142

Atlanta from the Ashes 145

Rich's Bake Shops 148

10 Rich's Way (1970s) 152

Richway 152

Rich's II 159

Rich's Cooking School 162

Part IV Rich's Federated Owned (1976-2005)

11 Federated's Way (1970s) 169

12 Canadian Invasion (1980s) 172

Rich's Academy 173

Partners in Time 184

13 Back from the Brink (1990s) 189

14 Without Fanfare (2000s) 199

Appendices 207

Notes 211

Bibliography 217

About the Author 223