This collection includes items relating to the Sydney business Marcus Clark & Co.
Henry Marcus Clark (1859-1913) established Marcus Clark & Co in Newtown in 1883. A 1902 article from the Sunday Times describes the building as thus: 'At Marcus Clark’s, at the corner of Newtown-road and Brown-street, one of the show places of the city, the most fastidious of women can be satisfied. Whenever you have a friend from another State, you always have to take her to this Emporium, so that she may see one of the places Sydney can boast of.'
Marcus Clark was so successful that a number of other stores opened in other suburbs, including Marrickville and Bondi Junction. In 1896 a store was opened on the corner of George and Harris Street near Railway Square. It was called Bon Marche. A larger building was constructed on the same site in 1909 and further stores were added around Railway Square.
In 1906 a building, known as the flat iron building, was erected on the corner of George and Pitt Streets, Railway Square. It was the tallest building in Sydney at the time being 9 stories and 150 feet tall. At this time the company employed 600 staff. A number of regional stores were also opened in the coming years.
Marcus Clark continued to be family owned until bought by Waltons in 1966. The flat-iron building at Railway Square was restored in 1984 but without reattaching the 10-foot high masonry domes originally located on each corner of the roof. The main store, still known as the Marcus Clark building, is now the Sydney Institute of TAFE.
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