Julius Shulman – Milliron’s Department Store. Westchester (Los Angeles) Ca. Gruen & Krummeck 1949

Photographer: Julius Shulman

Subject: Milliron’s Departrment Store.

Location: Los Angeles, (Westchester) California

Architect: Victor David Gruen and Elsie Krummeck

Assignment: J. W. Milliron

Job: 434 – SP

Date: March 23, 24, 27, 29, 1949

 

In 1947, at the time that J. W. Milliron commissioned the architectural firm of  Guren and Krummeck to design his first branch of  Milliron’s department Store, he noted that “Treatment of this suburban location should be one of complete Suburnanity”. Located at 8379 South Sepulveda Blvd. in the city of Westchester, the design was considered a “Modernist Work of Art”

The construction costs averaged $14.00 per foot while the average for the time was $25.00 per foot. With a central escalator, room for cars to park on the roof and a rooftop restaurant, Milliron’s was ahead of its time.

The building was sold to the Broadway Stores in 1950  which it remained for decades. It was again sold to the Federated chain (Macy’s), and became a Mervy’s department store until closing in 2008. Today is a Kohl’s department store.

Although today the rooftop is no longer in use as a parking lot, the building’s entrance has remained intact with the exception of the front bump out window display units along Sepulveda Boulevard and the main entrance which has been removed.

Victor David Gruen was born Victor David Grunbaum  in 1903 to a Jewish family in Vienna, Austria. A socialist since the 1920’s Gruen was forced to escape Austria due to Nazi persecution he arrived in New York, NY. where he worked until 1941. After what would be his second of four marriages to his business partner Elsie Krummeck in 1941 Gruen moved their office to Los Angeles, a move which was supported by Department store magnate Joseph Magnin. Divorcing in 1951 having 2 children together, Gruen then opened his own architectural firm, Victor Gruen Associated.  Among some of his great accomplishments are The Wilshire Terrace Co-Op in 1958, Wilshire Beverly Center, Beverly Hills in 1962 and the Master Plan for Marina Del Rey in 1965. Finding himself in high demand by retailers and government officials needed to clean up “blighted” cities, Gruen’s specialty became Shopping Centers and City Planning. After designing over 1,000 projects over the years, Gruen returned to his native Vienna in 1967, were died in 1980.

Born in New York in 1913, Elsie Krummeck was born of German immigrant parents. Krummeck started her career creating exhibits for events including the 1939 New York World’s Fair. While on that project she met Victor Gruen who would later become her husband and partner. Elsie Krummeck is credited with sketching most of the projects created by Gruen and Krummeck. Among their famous works are the Robinsons Clothing Store in 1947 and the M & H Company Building in Philadelphia as well as several housing projects

After her divorce from Victor Gruen, Krummeck married architect Neil Crawford. Krummeck went on to design items to complement buildings and shopping centers such as planters, murals, fountains, outdoor sculptures, furniture, planters and other objects. Among other items, she created fiberglass seating and planting sculptures, murals, fountains, outdoor sculpture and street furniture for shopping centers and civic areas.

Crawford’s works have been exhibited at the Platt Institute in Brooklyn, the Pasadena Museum of Art in Pasadena and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

Krummeck and Crowford divorced in May of 1971 and Elsie Krummeck Crawford passed away in 1999.

Gelatin Silver Print: Unframed: 5″ x 9″  (12.7 cm. x 22.86 cm.)

Shulman’s studio stamp and Job Number 434-SP on verso.

This Julius Shulman Print arrives with a “Certificate of Authenticity” authorized by the “Julius Shulman Trust & Photographic Archives”

Vintage Image is in Excellent Condition. Condition Report: Any statement of condition is given as an opinion and does not imply that this photograph is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfection or the effects of aging.

This Julius Shulman image came from Shulman’s Hollywood Hills studio.