H. Seeberg, Inc., 121 Genesee Street at the corner of Oak Street, was one of the leading men’s outfitters in Buffalo. Opened by Russian immigrant Harry Seeberg in 1927, the business had eight locations in the Buffalo area and 200 employees by 1962. This photograph, taken sometime around 1940 by Hauser Bob, shows the main shop and factory, having expanded across several mid-19th-century commercial buildings, some dating back to the 1840s.

The store was one of dozens that derived business from traffic at the adjacent Washington Market. At the left, Moest’s Grill, operated by Maude Moest, is visible at 305 Oak Street. At the right is the Henry Mandel’s, 111 Genesee Street, opened in 1895 and closed in 1949. Among Mandel’s products was the “Blumbershoot,” a small umbrella with an elastic band designed to be worn on one’s head to keep his hands free, advertised as perfect for hunters and fisherman.

H. Seeberg closed in 1978, starting a period in which the complex remained vacant for almost three decades. In 2007, 121 Genesee Street was purchased by Genesee Gateway LLC, which undertook a comprehensive restoration with support from the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation. Today, the redeveloped corner at Genesee and Oak streets is one of downtown’s many historic preservation success stories.

Image courtesy of The Buffalo History Museum. Used by permission.