For Connecticut shoppers in the 1950s and 1960s, any day spent at the venerable Hartford store was fun and exciting. But Christmas at G. Fox & Co. was magical. You never felt like the holiday season began until you visited Fox’s.
Beatrice Fox Auerbach, the store’s owner and president, loved Christmas herself. The Connecticut Historical Society has photographs taken at her home on Prospect Avenue showing her next to the family Christmas tree surrounded by her grandchildren. The Society also has a collection of the charming Christmas cards Mrs. Auerbach sent to her family and friends. So it’s no surprise that her personal delight in the holiday, extended to the store she ran for almost 40 years.
During December more than 30,000 people a day flocked to Fox’s to be assisted by more than 5,000 employees. Everyone who grew up in the Hartford area has a favorite Christmas memory of G. Fox. Many recall the beautifully decorated marquee. In the mid 1950’s it was festooned with giant candles and wrapped packages. Then in the 60’s the marquee display was an entire Connecticut colonial village. Oral histories recorded by former employees describe the traffic jams that resulted because people drove from all over the state just to see the marquee.
The main floor of Fox’s was always magnificent and even more so at Christmastime. The huge pillars were painted red for the holiday. Music filled every floor and throughout the store, there were fresh poinsettias and Christmas decorations.
But the destination people remember most from their childhood was Toyland on the 11th floor! That’s where you’d sit on Santa’s lap and share your wish for a Shirley Temple doll, Mickey Mouse pop up or a Roy Rogers holster set. Fox’s had every possible toy and even a Lionel electric train display with trains speeding around curves and through tunnels. On Christmas morning, children all over Connecticut rushed to open boxes with the G. Fox logo on them.
Thanks to generous donations from G. Fox & Company, former employees and customers, and the Fox and Auerbach families and their descendants, the Connecticut Historical Society has amassed extensive holdings documenting the famous department store. To find out more about CHS’s G. Fox collection visit www.chs/exhibits/online or call 860-236-5621 x 278.
