Kaufmann's: The Family That Built Pittsburgh's Famed Department Store

Jacob Kaufmann and his brother Isaac immigrated to New York from Germany in 1868, where they started selling sewing items to coal miners and mill workers. They opened merchant tailor shops and then launched a retail dynasty with a department store at Fifth Avenue and Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh. The Kaufmann brothers became Gilded Age multimillionaires and philanthropists, leaving an indelible mark on the city and western Pennsylvania with contributions to art, architecture, and culture. Kaufmanns explores the story of the department store, revealing the hardships, triumphs, and complicated legacy of the prominent family behind its success.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 263 pages
Publication date: 17 October 2023
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press

In 1868, the nineteen-year-old Jacob Kaufmann, the son of a German farmer, disembarked from a ship onto the shores of New York. Shortly after, his brother Isaac joined him, and the two brothers became part of an immigrant community of German Jews who sold sewing items to the coal miners and mill workers of western Pennsylvania. After establishing merchant tailor shops in both the North and South sides of Pittsburgh, the Kaufmann brothers capitalized on a new trend in merchandising – the department store – and launched what would eventually become their retail dynasty with a downtown storefront located at Fifth Avenue and Smithfield Street. Within just two decades, Jacob and his brothers had ascended the economic and social ladder of Pittsburgh, rising from humble salesmen to Gilded Age multimillionaires.

Generous and influential philanthropists, the Kaufmanns left an indelible mark on the city and western Pennsylvania. Their contributions extended to various aspects of art, architecture, and culture. One of their most famous landmarks is Fallingwater, a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece considered one of the twentieth century's greatest architectural achievements. The Kaufmann clock, a historic landmark that inspired the expression "meet me under the clock," is another notable contribution. Additionally, countless residents and shoppers have cherished fond memories associated with the Kaufmann family and their store.

However, the personal tragedies and fateful ambitions that shaped the Kaufmann family, their business, and the place they called home are far less known. Kaufmanns delves into the story of one of Pittsburgh's most beloved department stores, shedding light on the hardships, triumphs, and complicated legacy of the prominent family behind its success.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780822967132