Now Open in Birmingham (MI)
I added this catalog to my collection recently. I hadn’t seen it before, though after I bought it I saw it go for half the price and without the yellow banner. But the yellow banner is kind of cool. Obviously catalogs bound for a certain region had a special cover made to announce the opening of a new store. I’ve seen other covers like this for other areas.
Turns out this was not Birmingham, Alabama but Birmingham Michigan, an upscale Detroit suburb. It seems the Banana Republic store was there until just recently.
I was also jazzed by this one because it features Banana Republic stealth mascot, Livingstone the Zebra of Mill Valley, CA. Livingstone appears on many catalog covers but is never mentioned in the text that I can see or promoted in any way. It’s interesting that they created it but left it as an in-joke and not an explicit part of their marketing. That’d be too cute by half. View other Livingstone sightings below ( I just noticed his Picasso-esque portrait in the Artists and Writers cover).
The cover was illustrated by Ward Schumaker, a San Francisco based illustrator who’s still very active and in demand, although with a very different style than this. The Carry On! issue was promoting their Carry On Line of luggage.
Years ago, I was cleaning off a book shelf and I said to my husband, “should we keep these Banana Republic Catalogues?” We agree to toss them! AAAAAGH, we tossed them!!! I could kick myself. Enough said. Thanks for these posts. I love seeing them (while kicking myself.)
Just found your blog this AM and love it. I am originally from Birmingham and was there at this store the week it opened. Dragged there by my mom and older sister, but I was happy when I walked inside because there was a lifesized (perhaps 3/4 scale?) elephant in the middle of the store. I was 8 or so at the time. It was made out of a tough resin material and was there for years. Eventually the store transformed into contemporary BR and sold only women’s clothes. It closed a few years ago — 2007 or 2008 and Toast moved in. The elephant’s ghost now inhabits the area where the bar sits.
The elephant’s ghost! I love that! Thanks, Reilly!