Richard B. Altman Family Papers

The first Altman’s store opened in 1934 when Sam Altman bought the 15 foot wide store on Newcastle Street in Brunswick, Georgia, from Sam Lee, a Chinese launderer. Altman’s was responsible for bringing the first Estee Lauder cosmetics and fragrance counter to Brunswick, and offering the first department store credit card. In its heyday, Altman’s sold every sort of clothing imagined, included casual, dressy, uniforms and large sizes. Customer service was the secret to the chain’s success. But the store eventually fell on hard times, with road work in Newcastle and the emergence of national chains also eclipsed Altman’s success. Altman’s last branch on St. Simons Island closed in 1999. This collection also includes an original indenture for cemetery property sold to Temple Beth Tefilloh, 1949; minutes, correspondence, programs, memorial lists, histories, and general congregation records from Temple Beth Tefilloh.