We did not collectively dream this. It really did exist. The Willy Wonka-ish, incredible, glass sculpture between the escalators on the first floor of Brandeis Department Store at the Crossroads. Plants everywhere, with a red tiled pool. I can still hear the water splashing just by looking into this glorious photo. I loved the colors and shapes of the glass. I could stand there and daydream. Remember that happy fish on the left side? It smelled so good in that store. The only thing I can liken it to is that clean smell at Joslyn Art Museum. Grand. Marble. Solid Bones. (While you’re staring at this photo, notice those MCM clocks near the tops of those lit up pillars–one on the first floor, one on the second. Also all of the glass cabinets filled with merchandise in the background. Divine.) There was another smaller version of a sculpture fountain by the lower level escalators within the Home Department. It seems to me that it was blue though….many shades of blue. Yes, mosaic. Globe-shaped. Do you remember it too?
Brandeis Department Store Pre-Grand Opening at Crossroads Shopping Center. 72nd and Dodge Street. October 1960. (Photo courtesy of the Bostwick-Frohardt/KM3TV Photography Collection at The Durham Museum Photo Archive.)
This photo was taken right before the 1960 opening of the Brandeis Department Store at the Crossroads. I would not see this fountain for the first time until about 1975 but it seemed to look just the same. Of course we weren’t so quick to change back then and when such high quality materials were used in the first place, there wasn’t a need to change.
Both fountains were filled with pennies. It seems a befitting stage in the life cycle of a penny. My father’s pockets always seemed to be filled with pennies when we went to Brandeis. What an innocent treat it was to throw those pennies in together. Naughty boys would launch their pennies off of the second floor or snap them into the pool as they went up the escalators. I remember looking for the places that the coins would land and collect. The water pump feature seemed to be a big hit. Other times, mysteriously, all of the coins would be gone.
Some friends and I were discussing the Brandeis sculptures, when I had written about them a number of years ago. A girlfriend was curious about who the artist was. In reading this tiny 1960 snippet from the World Herald, I seem to remember knowing that the sculpture’s glass was from Paris. Did my grandmother tell me this when I was a child or was there an engraved brass plate somewhere near those escalators announcing the distinguished history of the Parisian glass? Both seem vaguely familiar.
And here we have it. A tiny article from June 7, 1961—which was Crossroads Shopping Center’s official Grand Opening, although many of the stores had opened in 1960. It turns out that the stunning Brandeis sculpture fountain was created by local artist, Bill Hammon. In addition to the Brandeis pieces, Hammon had created a facade mural for the Pershing Auditorium in Lincoln. Another mosaic, the Pershing sculptural mural, at the time, was the largest in the United States. Hammon also has a number of pieces in local hospitals and a large glass piece at Temple Israel. It touches me to know something of this artist now and that Brandeis, a local department store, would feature a local artist so prominently. We do not see art honored in this way in our national chain department stores. And I have not seen an indoor fountain getting the spotlight in a mall in decades. In a simpler time, Hammon’s sculpture fountain gave so much joy and true entertainment. It’s hard to think of anything that compares to this innocence in 2016.
I am wondering if anyone knows what happened to these Brandeis sculptures? I seem to remember those jaggedy, colorful, glass pieces getting really dusty in the later years. Maybe I just had teenage eyes, but they seemed every bit as fabulous.
I would love to hear from you. Click on the title header to enable comments. Thank you, Omaha friends.
The Brandeis family and Department Stores played such a huge role in allowing Omaha and it’s shoppers stay current with the times. They were the “Standard” that forced others like Kilpatrick’s and Phillip’s to step it up. But when it came to décor setting the right tone, no one understood it more than JL Brandies. Now on the other end of Crossroads was Sears. Does anyone remember the small cascading fountain in the entry way of the South side? It was an entrance that was rarely used by anyone because it was well hidden and accessed only via of the tool and hardware section on the lower level. While nothing in comparison, I was always amazed as a little kid how touchable it was. I could run my fingers through each level as I walked down each step, only to get my hand slapped by my mom for once again playing in the water.
Fantastic! The Sears hardware entrance was the one our family used but I don’t remember this water feature. Maybe it wasn’t there any longer by the time we moved to town? Sounds enticing for a young fella’s hands. Thanks for the great comment.
I sure do remember the Sears stairwell waterfall and it too was magic!
Upstairs on the south entrance to the mall just outside Sears there was that little deli, does anyone remember the name?
I was one of those naughty boys… Usually from the escalator. My dad would scowl at me. I don’t remember much of the sculpture though. When did it go away? I don’t remember it much in the late 70s or 80s.
Yes, yes, this was what made a trip to the Crossroads a treat during my childhood. Do you remember the kiddy rides they used to have in the mall? What a pity the Crossroads seems to be dying a slow, tortuous death nowadays.
Did you find out anything about the “air door” in your travels? I saw a blurb about it, but I didn’t see anything more. You probably missed it because you are too young. It was removed at some point. I guess it didn’t work as advertised. It was on the south-east entrance to the mall. right next to Brandeis. There was air blowing from vents under the door. It was supposed to work like a solid door including keeping bugs out (that amazed me). It was so futuristic at the time.
Do we know when the fountain disappeared?
Oh my! My fountain I loved! Years back I searched unsuccessfully for a photo of this. So glad I searched again. This is the most beautiful thing I can remember from my childhood. Once a year, during Christmas season, we would travel the 100 miles to the big city of Omaha. I went along just to see the fountain. I was completely memorized by it! It was like Hansel and Gretel crystal candies. And all the pennies sparkling under water. I can see it all still now. Thank you thank you for posting. 🙂
Of course the fountain was the focal of Brandeis that I remember everyone raced to ride up the escalator to get a birdseye view looking down as the water splashed off the sculpture to loud music playing in the background. I
Another memory I have is how crowded the Television Dept was on the lower level of Sears and in front of Sol Lewis Appliance Store when customers gathered to watch the new TV shows in color! Fun memories – thanks for sharing this post!
Remember the shoe store at the Crossroads Mall? They had those wavy carnival mirrors at the entrance and a big live parrot in a huge cage in the store. They used to have shoe salesman who measured your feet and fetched your new shoes. Awww, memories!
Yes , Corbalys spelling ?
I started. as a shoe salesman at the downtown store went into their management training program was employee of the year then was an assistant buyer in the lines dept. GREAT place to work. great job and the people were wonderful. I have missed department stores ever since. I saw every aspect of the store when I was assigned the Pillow week in the late 70s and had a million dollars to make , ordered all the pillows distributed to the different stores and got to go to the advertising dept and worked with them ads and window displays. arranged a lunch for all the stores main sales people and we reached our goal. just the most satisfying work experience I still have everhad. I loved that store
Ironically, Crossroads ‘un-official opening’ was held the week I was born in September, 1960! The opening of the Sears Store was held Tuesday, September 13th, 1960–I was born at 8:59PM that day! But seriously, I can remember mom giving us kids a penny a piece to toss in the Brandies fountain. When I was 7 or 8, I waited until I was almost at the second floor, then toss it to hear it splash in! (Of course I made a wish, too!) I can still smell the aromas of the entire mall: cotton candy, orange Julius, caramel corn, and that odd but wonderful smell of Woolworth’s!! I lived in the basement of that store where the toys were; Mom would always have to come fish me out of there. What memories!
Oh man, how about Youngstown with the train display behind the window… you pushed the littler gray button and it would start the train on a lap of the display!
At the top of those stairs to the left was the Ladies shoe dept. In the seventies in backlit recessed panels in pink and red flocked victorian paisley. were lit shoes at different elevations. Very Pink Panther. And the reason it always smelled good in those days was because an open Candy Counter with bins full of sweet at the base of the escalator coming down to the right. Lovely
Don’t be so sexist. Naughty girls used to drop pennies from the second floor as well… although it took some convincing for my sister to do so. 😉
Yes! Our family frequented Crossroads Mall in the 60’s. This sculpture fountain was spectacular! Loved the mall, and loved hanging out near this fountain. Rode the escalator up and down. Saved all my pennies for the fountain as I was convinced that this was the definitive and glorious destination for all pennies. Pitched pennies from every location. Shocked to see silver at the bottom, and sometimes tried to retrieve a dime or a quarter. My mom was fine with us hanging out here, because it meant that we wouldn’t be hiding in clothing racks, jumping out to scare unsuspecting shoppers.
A few years ago I tried to find a photo of this sculpture fountain, and contacted the Durham Museum. Happy to learn that they had a photo, and that their employee that assisted also remembered the fountain.
Isn’t it interesting that we can recall scents & smells from so many years ago? I can still smell this fountain, as well as the mall. Omaha had lots of special smells, such as the Skagway store that smelled like vinyl/garden hose, the circus (which wasn’t just animals), Peony Park (!), the Waterworks, and more.
Thank you for the background/history! It is genuinely appreciated! And thanks to those who replied. You brought back so many memories!
I hung on your every word!
I remember visiting Crossroads Mall for the first time and being dazzled by that fairy tale fountain as we came down the elevator. I was 9 or 10 years old (depending on whether we visited in 1960 or 1961) and all “dressed up” to go shopping. It was still considered bad form to go shopping or to a medical appointment in casual dress then–at least by my mother! Now I am the only member of that shopping party still alive.
Roberta, thanks so much for sharing this. Getting dressed up to go shopping or to a medical appointment–brilliant! I am going to a movie later and will “step it up,” in your mother’s honor.
The Candy Counter which was managed by my Aunt Patsy was located right next to that fountain! I LOVED that fountain, and sometimes, Aunt Patsy gave me a treat from the candy counter s well!
As I recall, the fountain was closed or removed around 1983 or 1984. I seem to remember Otis Twelve and Dan Doomy on Z-92 (KEZO) commenting on it back then.