Lit Brothers - 1920's-30's dated Stock Certificate - Famous Department Store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

General Stock. Vignette of two females standing at each side of Coat of Arms. Important company. Rare!!!

Lit Brothers was a reasonably priced department store located in Philadelphia. The inaugural store was established by Samuel and Jacob Lit at the intersection of Market and N. 8th streets in 1891. Lit Brothers effectively positioned itself as a more economical alternative to its more affluent rivals, including Strawbridge and Clothier, John Wanamaker, and Gimbels. The store adopted the slogan "A Great Store in A Great City" and gained recognition for its millinery department.

In the same year, Rachel P. Lit (1858-1919, who later took the surname Weddel and subsequently Arnold) launched a women's clothing boutique at the corner of Market and N. 8th Streets. With the management and innovative marketing strategies of her brothers, Colonel Samuel David Lit (1859-1929) and Jacob David Lit (1872-1950), their modest shop rapidly evolved into one of the largest retail establishments in Philadelphia.

Between 1895 and 1907, the store underwent significant expansion, acquiring the remaining properties on the northern side of the block on Market Street between 7th and 8th Streets. This included the J. M. Maris Dry Goods Store, the Bailey Store, and the J. B. Lippincott publishing house, along with the addition of new structures at both ends of the block, designed to harmonize with the existing architecture. Through various modifications and expansions, the Lit Brothers Store emerged as the sole full block of Victorian architecture in Philadelphia, comprising 33 buildings constructed between 1859 and 1918, all sharing a unified interior. The new constructions and renovations were executed by architects Charles M. Autenrieth and Edward Collins.