The Guggenheimer Department Store

Avoca is excited to announce a new exhibit of historical clothing in the museum! This display will be featured in the Pink Room, and it is expected to be fully completed by August 17th. A wide range of historical garments will be on display, from 1850-1950. There will be a primary focus into the fashion of the latter half of the 19th century. Individual pieces are going to be displayed, along with an outfit of Victorian mourning clothes and three different wedding dresses, all from three different decades. Today’s post will focus on one of the accessories which will be displayed, and how it uniquely connects to Lynchburg’s history. This accessory is a black mourning hat, most likely dated to the late 1800s. This piece on its own does not specifically connect to Lynchburg history, but rather it is the store that this hat came from. Pictured below is an image of the inside of the hat, where a tag with the words “C. M. Guggenheimer Lynchburg VA.” are seen. Guggenheimer was a prominent department store located in downtown Lynchburg. The Guggenheimer department store opened in 1887, in its original building at 906 Main Street. The business was so successful, however, that the owner, Charles M. Guggenheimer had to relocate the store to 1029 & 1031 Main Street. Guggenheimers was one of Lynchburg’s most profitable, well-known businesses, and Avoca is proud to feature an item that is important to local history.