History and architecture
The I. Miller Building, with its four statues of leading actresses of the 1920s by the noted sculptor Alexander Stirling Calder, is an evocative reminder of the history of the Broadway theater district. Designed by architect Louis H. Friedland, this 1926 remodeling of the Times Square branch of the fashionable I. Miller women's shoe store chain was commissioned by shoe manufacturer Israel Miller as a tribute to the theatrical profession. Miller, who began his career as a designer and maker of shoes for theatrical productions, had become a leading importer and manufacturer of shoes with a national chain of over 200 retail stores.
The store's handsome design incorporates rich materials ¬limestone, marble, and mosaic — and motifs from several different classically-inspired historic styles. It pays tribute to theater, both with an inscription beneath the cornice that reads "THE SHOW FOLKS SHOE SHOP DEDICATED TO BEAUTY IN FOOTWEAR" and with the statues which depict Ethel Barrymore as Ophelia (representing drama), Marilyn Miller as Sunny (musical comedy), Rosa Ponselle as Norma (opera), and Mary Pickford as Little Lord Fauntleroy.
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.