B.F. Schlesinger & Sons was the temporary successor to Kahn's Department Store. They incorporated in 1925 after purchasing Kahn's and a department store in Portland, Oregon. But the Schlesingers lost control of the company, and Irving Kahn (grandson of founder Israel Kahn) and others purchased the assets and returned it to the Kahn's name in 1933.
Benjamin Franklin Schlesinger had been general manager of the Emporium in San Francisco for 17 years and had extensive retail experience. His son, Lee Schlesinger, had been general manager of City of Paris in San Francisco. 1
They kept using the Kahn's name through the end of 1925, and gradually increased the prominence of B.F. Schlesinger & Sons in the name.
April 1925
June 1925
November 1925
January 1926
January 1926
In 1928, the company decorated the palatial Tribune-Schlesinger Home, a display home in Claremont Pines.
Return to Kahn's
As was probably the case for many stores, sales were down in 1932 during the Depression. The Schlesingers lost control of the company, and in 1933 the board decided to manage the stores in Oakland, Portland, OR and Tacoma, WA separately. Each would be "home managed" with a local board of directors. 2
Then Kahn's Department Store, Inc. bought the assets of Schlesinger's Oakland store. The directors of Kahn's included Irving Kahn, grandson of founder Israel Kahn. The officers were Herbert Clayburgh, president; Sherwood Swan, vice-president and general manager; F.R. McGrew, secretary-treasurer. 3
The new management wasted no time going back to the Kahn's name, and even had a "Good-bye Schlesinger's Sale." 4
Links and References
- incorporation announcement Oakland Tribune March 20, 1925
- Schlesinger Stores to Be Managed Separately Oakland Tribune February 20, 1933
- Oakland Store Changes Hands Oakland Tribune July 31, 1933
- Schlesinger Store to Change Name Oakland Tribune August 1, 1933
