Willoughby's
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
.jpg) The exterior of a former store on West 31st Street | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1898 Manhattan, New York |
| Founders | Charles G. Willoughby |
| Headquarters | 15-17 West 36th Street, Manhattan, New York City 40°45′11″N 73°59′47″W / 40.753124°N 73.996281°W |
Number of locations | 1 |
| Products | Cameras, video, film, audio, computers, electronics |
| Website | www |
Willoughby's, which proclaims itself (the world's) Largest Camera (department) Store,[1] was described in 1997 by The New York Times as "New York City's oldest camera store."[2] It was founded by Charles G. Willoughby in 1898,[3] By 1963 the store operated as Willoughby and Peerless Camera,[4] and simply Willoughby-Peerless (without the word Camera) by 1992; by 2010 ownership had shifted, and the name once again was simply Willoughby's.[5]
For a while, the 1967-founded 47th Street Photo, about which tourists with a halting English would mistakenly ask for 47th Street Camera,[6][7] was a geographically not too distant competitor, but 47th closed a year before Willoughby's celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Other areas in which the store competed were computers and other business machines, and a film lab.[1]
