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86 L ong before the arrival of out-of-town rivals Neiman Marcus of Dallas, and Frost Bros. and Joske's of San Antonio, Sakowitz Bros. downtown department store, doing business in Houston since 1911, defined luxury shopping in Houston. At mid-century, signature departments were spacious chambers for browsing and acquiring: a shoe department with a mural depicting exuberant tropicals worthy of Palm Beach; an epicure counter brimming with delicacies, most notably boxes of Lamb's chocolates; the intimate apparel shop stocking lingerie and corsets; a bridal salon arrayed like a theater set; the accessory bar for mid- century Lucite and leather handbags; the Coronet Shop for fine ladies' sportswear; an oak-paneled Red Coach Room for gentlemen's accouterments; a fabric shop boasting the latest textiles and Vogue and McCall's patterns; and a toy shop with its own Tom Thumb Theatre for screening kiddie films while parents shopped. BY CATHERINE D. ANSPON THE HEADY DAYS OF RETAIL THEATER FLASHING BACK 67 YEARS TO SAKOWITZ BROS.' DOWNTOWN ART MODERNE, MARBLE- CLAD PALACE, ARCHITECTURE BY ALFRED C. FINN, INTERIORS BY BROCHSTEINS INC. The Shoe Salon at Sakowitz Bros., 1111 Main Street, Houston, 1951 HOUSTON METROPOLITAN RESEARCH CENTER, HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, ALFRED C. FINN COLLECTION, MSS0019, AND THE BROCHSTEINS INC. ARCHIVE.