Exhibition remembers what made Hudson’s magical during the holidays

DETROIT — For generations of metro Detroiters, shopping — especially around the holidays — meant a trip to Hudson’s.

Although the retailer ceased to exist in 2001 — with stores at first becoming Marshall Field’s and later Macy’s — a mention of Hudson’s is almost certain to bring back memories for anyone old enough to have visited one of them. The Detroit Historical Museum is tapping into those memories — and introducing the beloved Detroit-based retailer to a new generation — with “Hudson’s Holidays,” a small exhibition on view through Dec. 30.

At the heart of the display is a glass case housing an assortment of toys carried by Hudson’s, including a collection of Santa Bears. The exclusive stuffed bears were produced annually from about 1985 to 2007, with many shoppers collecting all of them.

“When they walk in, people are drawn to the Santa Bear tower,” said Jeremy Dimick, director of collections and curatorial for the museum. “It’s a big nostalgia hit.”

The same case contains scores of other toys as well, including a wind-up car from the 1920s, an early Ken doll, slot cars and an erector set. In many cases, the boxes that the toys came in are on display as well, giving a peek into the marketing of that era.

Visitors will find an assortment of other Hudson’s memorabilia as well, including a collection of annual holiday shopping bags — on loan from local historian Michael Hauser — dishes and serving pieces from the downtown Detroit Hudson’s restaurant, photos, clothing, an old brass nameplate from the downtown store and a pneumatic tube that Dimick said was used to send messages throughout the downtown store. The Hudson’s store on Woodward Avenue in Detroit was 25 stories tall and was the world’s tallest department store until 1961. The downtown store closed in 1983.

“One of the nice things about this exhibition is people reading all of the historic panels,” Dimick said. “It’s getting to the point where the people who remember Hudson’s are getting older.”

Hauser said the holiday shopping bags reflected that year’s holiday décor theme. He said Hudson’s would also have special wrapping paper created each year embracing the theme.

“The shopping bags are fun because that’s an art form that’s completely gone away,” Hauser said of the sturdy, decorative paper bags with handles.

Hauser worked for Hudson’s at Southland Mall in Taylor for roughly a decade. He penned several books for Arcadia Publishing with co-author Marianne Weldon that explore the history and impact of Hudson’s and other department stores: “Hudson’s: The Grand Dame of Detroit Retailing,” “Hudson’s: Detroit’s Legendary Department Store” and “20th-Century Retailing in Downtown Detroit.” All the books are available at The Detroit Shoppe at Somerset Collection in Troy; Hauser said proceeds from the book sales benefit the Detroit Historical Museum.

Hudson’s was known for its customer service. Hauser, who specialized in men’s shirts and ties, said employees kept books listing their best customers and would call them and put merchandise on hold for them when new items arrived. In addition, long before online shopping, customers could order items from their local store, which Hauser said had its own fleet of delivery trucks.

“You could order almost anything and have it delivered (to your home) almost immediately,” Hauser said. “They were the Amazon of their day.”

Today, Hudson’s lives on through the Hudson-Webber Foundation, which has given more than $200 million in grants to Detroit nonprofits since its inception in 1939.

“They were incredible community leaders, and they left us with so many events that are still with us today,” Hauser said of the Hudson and Webber families.

Hauser said iconic events launched by Hudson’s include the Freedom Festival Fireworks (now the Ford Fireworks), America’s Thanksgiving Parade and the Fash Bash, among others.

Rebecca Salminen Witt, the chief strategy and marketing officer for the Detroit Historical Society, which operates the Detroit Historical Museum, said this is the third and final year the museum will be offering a Hudson’s holiday exhibition.

“This is such a crowd pleaser that we wanted to do it one more year,” Salminen Witt said.

This year’s exhibition is in the Gallery of Invention. In early 2024, Salminen Witt said, this space will become a new gallery, City of Champions, which will spotlight Detroit sports stories, starting with the Detroit Pistons in honor of the 35th anniversary of the franchise’s 1989 and 1990 championship seasons and the 20th anniversary of the 2004 championship.

“Our sports exhibitions do so well here,” Salminen Witt said. “This will allow us to do more (of them) and do more consistently.”

On Sundays in December, Detroit Historical Museum admission is free. Admission to the DHM’s sister site, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, is also free on Sundays in December.

The Detroit Historical Museum is located at 5401 Woodward Ave. For more information, visit detroithistorical.org or call (313) 833-1805.