LiveMalls

LiveMalls is pleased to present The Belk Archive, a tribute to America's largest family-owned department store company, Belk, Inc.

The first LiveMalls post was a Belk department store, and pictures of the company's stores have helped form the backbone of LiveMalls.

The Belk Archive would not be possible without the generous contributions of Patrick Richardson, who gave LiveMalls exclusive access to his extensive collection of Belk photos and memorabilia. I thank Pat for his help to provide the internet with a unsurpassed collection of all things Belk. Please check this page regularly, as I will be adding more memorabilia as I receive it.

A final note: this archive is neither sponsored or endorsed by Belk, Inc. or its subsidiaries. I do hope that they are honored and not offended, because it's all done out of love for their company.

Belk logos from 1967 (left), 2007 (center) and 2010 (right)

The current Belk logo first appeared in October 2010.

This version of the Belk logo first appeared in 2007 and was replaced in October 2010.

This classic Belk logo first appeared in 1967 and was replaced in 2007.

Display World magazine; June 1968.

Display World magazine; June 1968

An employee photo outside Belk in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, circa 1910. (Pat Richardson)

Parks-Belk Co., Kannapolis, North Carolina. Postcard view (store at left), circa 1920. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

An interesting photo of William Henry Belk (left) meeting with James Cash (J.C.) Penney from February 17, 1950. W.H. Belk said they were "friends first, then competitors occasionally." (Pat Richardson)

Belk, Monroe, North Carolina. circa 1955. (Belk, Inc.)

Belk, Monroe, North Carolina. A typical shopping scene from the 1950s. (Courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk-Harry, Salisbury, North Carolina. Newspaper advertisement, circa 1930s. (Pat Richardson)

Belk, Monroe, North Carolina. Harvest Sale w/ William Henry Belk enjoying the proceedings, 1950. (Courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, downtown Belmont, North Carlina. Exterior view, sometime in the 1950s. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk-Gallant, downtown Newnan, Georgia. Christmas toy display (with Belks "Big Boy" wagons!), 1954. (Pat Richardson)

Belk-Tyler, downtown Ahoskie, North Carolina. Store employees welcome Santa, 1955. (Pat Richardson)

Belk, downtown Clarksville, Tennessee. Washington's Day Sale, 1958. (Pat Richardson)

Belk, Monroe, North Carolina. Remodeled exterior, sometime in the late 1950s. (Courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk Corporate Headquarters, Charlotte, North Carolina. Womenswear vendor doing a presentation for buyers during the 1960s. (Photo courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. Pattern Room, circa 1960s. (Pat Richardson)

Belk, downtown Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Grand Champion Steer on the main floor, circa 1960s. (Pat Richardson)

Belk, downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. Music department, circa 1960s. (Pat Richardson)

Belk, Leesburg, Florida. Christmas display with live deer, circa 1960s. (Pat Richardson)

Belk, downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. "Subteens" department, circa 1950s. (Pat Richardson)

Belk, downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. Juniors department, 1960 (Pat Richardson)

Belk, downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. Window display, 1954 (Pat Richardson)

Belk, downtown Hickory, North Carolina. Harvest Sale window display, 1954. You gotta love the canned veggies along the bottom (Pat Richardson)

Belk, downtown Asheville, North Carolina. Harvest Founder's Day Sale window display, 1954. William Henry Belk, company founder, is the man in the portrait (Pat Richardson)

Belk, Charlotte, North Carolina. Print advertisement, 1962. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, Charlotte, North Carolina. Institutional advertisement, 1966. (courtesy of Pat Richardson)

Belk, downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. View of columns and display windows, 1966. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. Aerial view of exterior façade on Tryon Street with wall sign on former Efird's building, 1966. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

A Belk measuring glass from the late 1960s with the company logo and slogan on the side. (Pat Richardson)

Belk, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina. Artist's rendering of proposed Sharon Road facade, 1969. (courtesy of Pat Richardson)

A postcard from Belk in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, circa 1970. (Pat Richardson)

Early 1970s Belk advertisement, Charlotte, North Carolina. FabricFair was Belk's chain of specialty fabric stores. (Pat Richardson)

Belk, Charlotte, North Carolina. Easter ad, 1970 (courtesy Pat Richardson.)

Belk, downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. Exterior entrance with lighted roof sign, circa 1974 (courtesy Pat Richardson)

How about a gas station at Belk? This is a photo from the "Belko" service station at Belk, Parkhill Mall, Tarboro, North Carolina, circa 1975. You could even use your Belk/Leggett charge to fill your gas tank. (Pat Richardson)

Belk Budget Store & Belk II, Charlotte, North Carolina. newspaper advertisement, May 1976. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, Charlotte, North Carolina. Print advertisement, July 4, 1976. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Late 1970s Belk bag

Belk Beery, Independence Mall, Wilmington, North Carolina. Exterior entrance, circa 1979. (Gordon Schenck)

Belk-Beery, Independence Mall, Wilmington, North Carolina. Escalator well, July 1979. These pictures were taken the week before the store opened. The escalator well featured a glass-sided elevator -- framed by antique brick, marble, and wrought iron -- in the style of the antebellum houses in Wilmington. (Pat Richardson)

Belk-Harry, Salisbury, North Carolina, circa 1980. (Pat Richardson)

Belk FabricFair, Salisbury, North Carolina, circa 1980. (Pat Richardson)

Belk, Charlotte, North Carlina. Print advertisement 1986. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

To celebrate Belk's 100th Anniversary in 1988, associates received a special birthday card which featured a unique collage featuring memorabilia from Belk and Leggett’s' first 100 years in business. Above is the outside and inside of the card. (Pat Richardson)

To celebrate Belk's 100th Anniversary in 1988, a unique collage featuring memorabilia from Belk and Leggett’s' first 100 years in business was created. Here is a diagram of some of the items on the collage. (Courtesy Pat Richardson)

An original hang-tag banner celebrating Belk's 100th anniversary.

>Belk-Yates, Thomasville, North Carolina. Changing the lights in the Belk "B", 1988. (Pat Richardson)

Matthews Belk, Eastridge Mall, Gastonia, North Carolina. The California Raisins celebrating Belk's 100th Anniversary, October 1988. (Photo courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, Charlotte, North Carolina. Oprah Winfrey makes a benefit appearance for Belk on October 8, 1988 -- she even held a Belkie Bear! (Photo courtesy Pat Richardson)

former Belk, downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, during demolition, 1989. (Pat Richardson)

Leggett, downtown Hampton, Virginia, Summer 1989. Closing of the store (symbolized by the mannequins wearing the Leggett bags) -- the new Leggett had just opened at the Patrick Henry Mall and the downtown store was almost closed. (Pat Richardson)

Leggett (now Belk), Tanglewood Mall, Roanoke, Virginia, 1990. The store opened in 1973. (Virginia Film Office)

Picture inside one of the Belk Outlet Centers--Gastonia, NC from 1992 (note bag in front of picture). These would later merge with the Belk "Tags" stores -- these were a different division of Belk outlet stores. (Pat Richardson)

Belk, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina. Store employees on Level 2 trying to get the new addition of the store ready for business (note the areas in the back of the photo with the construction plastic--only about one-fourth of the new section was complete at the time). This is from Sept 2001. Frequent LiveMalls contributor Patrick Richardson is on the right. (Photo courtesy of Pat Richardson)

A t-shirt given to Belk employees to celebrate the completion of the remodel of Belk, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina in 2002. The shirt was cortesy of the general contractor. (Pat Richardson)

Belk, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina. Mall entrance, circa 1995. (SouthPark mall)

Belk, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina. Fairview Road exterior entrance at night, circa 2003 (courtesy Pat Richardson)

site of former Belk, downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. Skywalk that used to lead into the store from the Overstreet Mall and a commemorative plaque on Trade Street, 2008. (Pat Richardson)

former Belk, Cannon Village, Kannapolis, North Carolina. Front view, June, 28, 2008. (photo by Pat Richardson)

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Saturday, December 25, 2004

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