Sunday, September 30, 2012

A Tribute to Josephine Carbone

Josephine Carbone
We all have that special someone in our lives.  A person who helped form us and influence us in a positive manner.  For me that person was my grandmother who the public knew as Josephine or "Jo" Carbone.  To me, she was a larger than life person, part Auntie Mame, part Diana Vreeland. As a child growing up, I was so lucky to live next door to her.  Many, many days were spent at her house doing daily shopping, rearranging her house, and simply talking on the couch.  My favorite stories were those of her early days in the field of retail, and her days spent at Denholms.  She talked about the past, ...and of Denholms like that of a long lost friend who she wished to revisit.  She reminisced about her 25 year span at Denholms and how her career changed over the years.  Her favorite years were the 1960's, " fashion was changing,everything seemed new again" she would remark. And she was right, the 1960's were the pinnacle of her career.  She had just been promoted to buyer of all of women's ready-to-wear after Elsie McCarthy's retirement.  This afforded her more opportunities to travel the world and purchase imported sweaters, blouses, etc... for the store, as well as hold in house fashion shows where she would do the commentary which would help educate the customers towards the new trends, silhouettes, and color pallet of each season.  She also enjoyed her time spent with the fashion advisory board which was made up of young high school and college students training under her and other managers at Denholms.

  As her career grew, so did her responsibilities with the store.  Within the next few years she would be promoted to Divisional Merchandise Manager responsible over all of the women's, children's, and mens departments.  Unfortunately she did not get more than a few years into her new title before the store changed hands and ultimately closed. 

left to right- Lucy Lonergan, Clarisse Morrisey, Edith Thomas, Jo Carbone, Lillian MacNeil at Elsie McCarthy's retirement party 1961
In her office on Chatham 3

Photo taken on the third floor in the Dress department

Leaving work by the High street entrance

My Grandmother with Marion Freedman, Taken at my grandmothers going away party at Denholms
  Personally I want to thank my grandmother for influencing and inspiring me to this day.  My passion for Denholms is directly related to her days spent there.  Whenever I go into the building and escalate up to the third floor I always think of her walking around in high heels, conducting business and decked out in the latest fashions. My love of Denholms was spawned from my grandmother, and in my heart, both she and the store will live on  forever.

 

11 comments:

  1. Chris, What wonderful tribute!! I am very moved!
    Your grandmother is and always will be a HUGE part of who you are. Thanks for sharing with us lucky readers!

    Charles:-)
    shoppingdaysinretroboston.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Thanks Charles, that is so nice of you to write!

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  2. Chris -
    Did your grandmother have anything to do with the American Supply Co. on Front Street after Denholm's closed? I seem to recollect seeing a sign in their windows trumpeting "Jo Carbone Fashions" on my way to Strawberries from the Galleria (and vice-versa)back in the late 1970s/early 1980s.

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  3. Hi there! Yes you are correct. When Denholms closed they asked her to work at American Supply and set up the first floor for her. It was all labeled under "Jo Carbone Fashions". It was a large Lucite sign that was clear with white letters. You have a great memory!
    Thanks again for viewing my blog.
    Chris

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  4. Chris, What a lovely tribute to your lovely grandmother! I, too, had a wonderful grandmother that was part Vreeland and part Auntie Mame (by the way, be sure and see the Vreeland film out this month). I love all the time you spent together. Where in the city of Worcester did she live? There are some terrific old homes in that city and I miss them. Our store was Filenes and my grandfather was General Manager of the entire basement in the 50's, 60's, 70's. My grandmother was the FIRST LADY! LOL! Why were there so many wonderfully dressed women back then and so few today? It is such a sadness! I espcially love the picture of her in her office, with all her important papers and sketches, etc. strewn about. That's exactly how fashion editors work! Chris, that story was marvelous! Keep telling us about her. Perhaps it will be your next book!

    Emily at alovelyinconsequence.blogspot

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    1. Emily this is so nice of you to write. I had no idea your grandfather was affiliated with Filenes!!! That was a great store as well. Especially the old one on Main Street. I hate to see it in the disrepair that it is in now. My grandmother was wonderful and I miss her greatly, but I know she is still with me. She lived outside of the city in Holden most of her Denholms years.
      I still cant believe all of these great stores are gone....very sad.
      Chris

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  5. Chris, was she retired when she was your grammie or do you remember visiting her at Denholm's? You've done her proud!

    Emily at alovelyinconsequence.blogspot

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    1. I was 5 years old when the store closed but I did go to work with her often. After Denholms she worked at American Supply and then at Marcus Company. I often went to work with her, and thats how I fell into the retail trade as well. She influenced me greatly.
      BTW your blog is so wonderful and I read every post that you write. Sorry I dont respond often as I usually am reading them in the am before work. I love them.
      Thank you for always bringing wonderful memories and antidotes into my morning!

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  6. Thank you so much Chris! I haven't been blogging much because of some other writing gigs but I hope to soon...

    Emily

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  7. I remember Jo Carbone from my days at Denholm's ('55 - '57). She's one of the few names I remember - her, Paul Wolf, Russ Corsini, Chet Pikiel, Gladys Pikiel, Edie Safer, Midge (head of the record album department), Elizabeth Chatis, and of course my boss, Eric Hallback, head of the Display Department.
    And my friend, Elizabeth Byard, the elevator operator (in those racist days in Worcester, a black woman could have had a Ph.D. and still not have been able to rise above the position of elevator operator; Denholm's was a great place to work - if you were white). When she found out I was a jazz lover, she informed me that her son was the well-known jazz pianist, Jaki Byard, who is now world-famous. I eventually got to meet him in NYC, from knowing his mother and father (who worked as a security guard at Worcester County Trust Co., where I also worked).

    JPF

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    1. Thank you so much for writing! Yes it was a sad time for minorities in the city and country. That is one thing I don't miss about the 60's. I have heard Elizabeth's name before, she must have been a great lady.

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