Some More Emporium

The Emporium, the first department store in the town of Main Street, has been incredibly successful over the years. Starting as a relatively small corner store back in 1863, it has grown over the years to encompass an entire city block.

The most recent addition, The Emporium Gallery, takes things even more upscale, offering the citizens of Main Street only the "Latest and Greatest" products from around the world: Electrical Lamps, Graphophone Talking Machines, Edison Kinetoscopes, Imported Glassware, Ladies' Wearing Apparel, Finest House Furnishings and Children's Toys & Novelties.

A plaque over the door to the Gallery mentions it was established in 1901. The date has dual significance. This location, a true expansion of the original Emporium into the former Center Street Flower Market area, opened in 2001. Using a date one hundred years earlier fit the story. It also happens to be the year of Walt Disney's birth (the 100 Years of Magic celebration honoring Walt's centennial kicked off in 2001).

In regard to the period in which the story of Main Street takes place, 1901 also represented a cultural shift. Queen Victoria passed away in January that year, effectively bringing an end to the Victorian era. The majority of the design of Main Street, U.S.A. is Victorian, very eclectic and heavy on ornamentation. Victoria's reign was followed by that of her son, Edward, and the Edwardian era was marked with a move toward a more elite style influenced by his travels through continental Europe.

The Emporium Gallery demonstrates this shift. In contrast to the darker woods and elaborate carvings seen in the original section of the shop, the Gallery is open and airy, with a high domed ceiling and colored glass inspired by department stores like Le Bon Marché in Paris.

The expansion of Main Street's Emporium also came with the addition of new departments and custom offerings, some of which can be glimpsed from the floor of the Gallery. There's the Haberdashery, providing men's sportswear and formal wear, and the Millinery, creating fine ladies' hats.

Overlooking the entire space is this mural of happy citizens "Shopping in the Grand Style." The casual observer might be impressed with the diversity represented in the townspeople. Those in the know would realize these are actually portraits of several of the Imagineering team members who worked on the Emporium expansion project, all worked in by the mural's creator, Imagineering artist Joe Warren.

The woman with the yellow umbrella is Art Director Agnes David-Hoffman. The gent on the right in the brown jacket is Jim Heffron, Senior Concept Architect. That's Cicero Greathouse, Artistic Director and master of character paint treatments, wearing the top hat and monocle. On the left, the lady in pink is Katie Roser, responsible for the props and displays in the shop. Finally, the flowered hat in the lower left corner sits on the head of Joyce Carlson. While Joyce may not have been directly involved in this project, she was a Disney Legend who started with the company in 1944 and went on to influence every iteration of "It's a Small World" and countless fellow Imagineering artists.

Also on the left, the fellow in the straw hat is Graphic Designer Kevin Thomas. That's Program Architect Steve Grant carrying the stack of red, yellow and blue boxes. The woman on the top right, with the big pink bow on her hat, is Katherine Fredericks who supports Bernie Mosher, the Creative Director for Imagineering Florida.

There are likely other Imagineers depicted here. These are the ones I know. If anyone has more information and would like to contribute, please feel free to do so in the Comments.