The White House receipt

Early this summer I bought a group of patterns at a rummage sale. They sat on my shelf all summer, until today when I decided to get them on Etsy. As I opened one envelope I was pleasantly surprised to see the receipt for the pattern tucked inside:

The receipt is from The White House in San Francisco. Two items were purchased for $1.41 on May 10th, 1957. I love to find things like this. I wonder who it was that bought the pattern and how did it eventually end up in North Dakota?

I had to do a little research on The White House as I had never heard of it. The store opened in 1854, but after the great San Francisco earthquake in 1906, the building was destroyed. It was rebuilt in a French style and was known for its French atmosphere. There was a tea room on the fourth floor which was quite beautiful. See some postcards of the tea room here. I can't imagine shopping there and stopping to have tea. Being dressed in you finest to shop and have tea sounds so much better than having cheap lingonberry pancakes at IKEA. The store closed in 1965 and the building now houses a Banana Republic.

Also check out this blog for more information and a store directory.