Willoughby's Explained

Willoughby's, which proclaims itself (the world's) Largest Camera (department) Store,^[1] was described in 1997 by The New York Times as "New York City's oldest camera store."^[2] It was founded by Charles G. Willoughby in 1898,^[3] By 1963 the store operated as Willoughby and Peerless Camera,^[4] and simply Willoughby-Peerless (without the word Camera) by 1992; by 2010 ownership had shifted, and the name once again was simply Willoughby's.^[5]

Competition

For a while, the 1967-founded 47th Street Photo, about which tourists with a halting English would mistakenly ask for 47th Street Camera,^{[6] [7]} was a geographically not too distant competitor, but 47th closed a year before Willoughby's celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Other areas in which the store competed were computers and other business machines, and a film lab.^[1]

Ownership

Ownership of Willoughby's has always been private. In the over a century since its founding by Mr. Willoughby, including the period when one or more of "Peerless",^[8] "Camera", "Emporium"^[9] "Department" and "Store" were part of its name, it has been owned by various others. Most recently these have included:^[1]

• Erich Hirschfeld,^[4] who had formerly managed the business, purchased it in 1963
• Berkey, Inc., "which entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings"^[1] in 1988
• Queen Street Camera Inc., a Canadian firm that, eight years after its own founding acquired Willoughby's
• Joseph Douek^[5]

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. Receipts said "Largest Camera Department Store." News: The New York times. Willoughby's Is Sold for $1 Million. Isadore Barmash . October 24, 1988 . September 25, 2022.
2. News: The New York Times. In Digital Age, Willoughby's Remakes . November 20, 1997 . September 22, 2022.
3. News: The New York Times. C.G. WILLOUGHBY, CAMERA DEALER; Founder in '98 of Photographic Supply Store Bearing His Name Is Dead at 84. June 9, 1951 . September 23, 2022.
4. News: . EXECUTIVE QUITS CAMERA RETAILER; Willoughby-Peerless Chief to Buy 2 of Its Divisions . August 29, 1963 . September 25, 2022.
5. News: The New York Post. Crook gets 20 years for Brooklyn robbery, Ferrari joyride. Selim Algar . November 18, 2013 . September 23, 2022.
6. News: The New York Times. About New York. January 8, 1983.
7. Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com) . Re: 47th Street Camera . August 3, 2020.
8. "and Willoughby's Peerless Camera Stores." News: . Maxwell H. Gluck Dies at 85; Businessman and Ex-Envoy . Robert D. McFadden . November 23, 1984 . September 25, 2022.
9. News: . Stop the Empire Station complex: Penn Station’s ghost still haunts New York . Josh Alan Friedman . October 7, 2021 . September 25, 2022.