Those of us who grew up in Indianapolis before the early 1990s know that L. S. Ayres was the premiere department store in Indianapolis. The You Are There: That Ayres Look exhibit just opened March 14th at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center downtown at 350 W. Ohio Street. I attended the opening preview that kicked off this amazing exhibit on Friday, March 13th. The exhibit combines the high-tech of today with the high fashion of the past 100 years.
The opening was a huge success with guests dining on ham loaf and chicken velvet soup — just a couple of the iconic dishes from the Tea Room. John Herbst, President and (CEO) of the Indiana Historical Society opened the evening. His love of history and preservation was obvious as he proudly said, “the Indiana Historical Society is the oldest currently operating organization in Indiana — chartered in 1830.”
The highlight of the evening was a fashion show by eight former Ayres models, dressed in fashions reminiscent of That Ayres Look (provided by Worth New York and Jewelry by Aronstam Fine Jewelers). Ayres always set the styles for the latest in fashion for Hoosiers. The models descended the long staircase in the Eli Lilly Hall to be escorted down by reenactors portraying Lyman Ayres II and Lewis “Brownie” Brown, an Ayres elevator operator. The commentator was Cristy Sagalowsky.
The exhibit You Are There: That Ayres Look takes you back in time as you enter the misty portal through the iconic Ayres Clock (projection on fine mist) into the gallery space. Interactive displays of artifacts, documents, videos, historic photographs, and treasures fill you with the nostalgia of the past 110 years, back to when the store first opened in 1905 at the corner of Meridian and Washington Street. There were also live models intermingled with mannequins, all dressed in 1959 suits, with hats and gloves. Characters include company president Lyman Ayres II, (in a brown pin-striped suit) elevator operator Lewis “Brownie” Brown (in a brass buttoned uniform), fashion director Elizabeth Patrick, model Bea Fatout, buyer Betty Swain and display department employee Charlie Hallagan.
The reenactors stay in character and it is fun to converse with them about a time that many of us remember.
Photo by C.J. Woods, III/Weekly View
Bronze cherub that sits atop the Ayres Clock.
I chatted with a gentleman viewing the exhibit, who said he still has one of the bandanas that held the peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the Hobo kid’s meal served in the Tea Room. I took my daughter there as a child and she loved digging through the Treasure Chest for a prize. I took my son to Mr. Bunny’s Barnyard with real animals in an exhibit next to the Tea Room — I remember hearing a story about either a piglet or goat getting loose and running through the Tea Room. Another treat is the Ayres Cherub on display for the first time off its usual perch on the Ayres Clock. It first appeared mysteriously the day after Thanksgiving in 1947 and stayed up until Christmas (the city owns it now and it still appears every year just like clockwork — pardon the pun). This beautiful three foot bronze statue was created by the late local sculptor David Rubins. I had Mr. Rubins as a History of Sculpture professor back in the late 60s at Herron School of Art (he was director of the sculpture program for 45 years at Herron). Throughout the exhibit, visitors will hear the history of Ayres and its legacy in a series of films and videos playing that include sound bites from former employees and shoppers.
This exhibit is a must-see for all Hoosiers who remember Ayres in all it’s glory. It is open 10-5 Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free to IHS members, adults $7, seniors $6.50, youth ages 5-17 $5, and children under 5 are free. The exhibit will be on display until August 6, 2016.
On June 17th (6:30-8:30 p.m.), the History Center will host a fashion show highlighting 100 years of fashion trends. Following the show, the audience will be invited to chat with the models to learn more about the decade their clothes come from and “That Ayres Look.” The cost is $5 for members, $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Register at tickets.indianahistory.org.
I not only shopped at Ayres, but I was a layout artist in the advertising department from 1985 until the close in 1992 (helping disassemble the store — I’m the one who took all those beautiful silk ties out of their cubbyholes in the men’s store). I loved the EOM (End of the Month) Sales and even bought my wedding dress at an EOM sale in 1971. I found it, tried it on and was out of the store in 10 minutes — it was $39.95 marked down from $275 and it was gorgeous — it looked just like Tricia Nixon’s wedding dress (a sleeveless lace flowered bodice with an empire waist).
I attended That Ayres Look opening with several former Ayres employees and good friends including Norma Dollar (who had been a model in the 50s in advertising herself and was there until it closed in 1992) and her husband Virg, C.J. Woods III (our own Words from Woods columnist who was an art director and worked for Ayres from 1986 and went on to St. Louis when May company bought Ayres in 1992 and only retired a few years ago when Macy’s took over), and Susan Schonfeld (another layout artist in advertising).
There is a wonderful Ayres book L.S. Ayres and Company: The Store at the Crossroads of America by Kenneth L. Turchi that you might want to check out (I bought my copy at Bookmamas, 9 S. Johnson).
