Mr. Bamberger and the Macy’s Parade

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is reportedly the largest parade in the world, and the second oldest in the U.S. (Gimbels in Philadelphia is the oldest.) But it wasn’t always Macy’s, and it didn’t start in New York.

Louis Bamberger of Baltimore, Maryland was a shy man who never married. A savvy businessman, he moved to Newark, New Jersey in 1892 and purchased a failing general goods store at an auction. He took on two partners and renamed the shop L. Bamberger & Co. Immediately successful, Bamberger’s, as it came to be known, grew and expanded, moving in 1912 to a building that took up an entire city block. The store grossed $28 million in sales in 1928 which is the equivalent of $399 million in 2017!)

At some point, Louis sponsored a Christmas parade. A five-mile-long route extended from Orange High School and Carteret Academy to the store via Central Avenue. Wildly popular, it took hundreds of police officers to keep the thousands of spectators in line as they pressed together to see the floats and costumed Bamberger employees, most of whom were immigrants seeking to honor their new country.

In 1924, Macy’s purchased Bamberger’s, keeping the brand name separate from their own. That year, Macy’s moved the parade to Manhattan and began to call it a Thanksgiving Day parade, but Newark’s Bamberger’s operated their event until 1957 when Macy’s discontinued the use of the name.

Helium balloons didn’t arrive until 1928, and some of the biggest attractions were the animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo, including elephants, monkeys, bears, and camels. Floats were the mainstay of the parade with brass bands from all over.

According to many websites, the parade was suspended from 1942 through 1944 because of the shortage of rubber, helium, and manpower, but I would imagine that Macy’s understood there was nothing to celebrate until the war ended in victory for the Allies.

One thing that has never changed since its inception, is Santa’s presence. Ever generous, he lent his sleigh to Hollywood for the filming of “Miracle on 34^th Street.”

I grew up in New Jersey and had the pleasure of marching in the parade for three of my four years in high school. Now, many years later, the event still holds a special place in my heart, and I snuggle on the couch every Thanksgiving to watch this iconic parade.

What are your memories of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone's throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her live. Linda is a member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters in Crime. She is a volunteer docent at the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library. To learn more about Linda, visit her website. If you enjoy history and would like to receive a free short story, sign up for her newsletter.