Progressing Towards the Past: A Journey Through History

Progressing Towards the Past: A Journey Through History

H. Fisher & Sons Transforms into a Living Museum on Saint-Laurent Boulevard

In the heart of Montreal, the century-old H. Fisher & Sons store has been reborn as a unique immersive exhibition, now part of the Montreal Jewish Museum. The store, which bears witness to an era when Saint-Laurent pulsed with the rhythm of the textile industry and the Jewish community from Eastern Europe, has been transformed into a living museum.

The business was founded by Harry Fisher on Pine Avenue in 1918 and moved to Saint-Laurent in the 1920s. After a series of changes in ownership, the store was taken over by one of the founder's sons, Michael (or Mitch), but it was a woman who kept the place alive. Esther Rosenfeld Fisher, the sympathetic owner, preserved memories of her late husband in the store, including an old telephone with his preset number.

Esther Rosenfeld Fisher kept the store open until 2022, just before her death in 2023. The H. Fisher & Sons store, after her passing, was acquired and donated to the Montreal Jewish Museum by her children. The museum has since transformed Fisher's windows into an exhibition space for artists and artisans, showcasing themes such as the textile industry, immigration, Jewish identity, and heritage.

Visitors can step into the past as they explore the store, touching, opening drawers, and rummaging through papers. The exhibitions offer a glimpse into the life of Esther Rosenfeld Fisher and the history of the store, which once mainly sold in bulk to factories, tailors, dressmakers, Cirque du Soleil, the Montreal Opera, and fashion schools.

Taryn Fleischmann, from the Montreal Jewish Museum, notes that the place would not have been as special without Esther's unique personality. "Many people visited just to chat with Esther for hours," she says. Even in the face of challenges, such as being shouted at for mistakes in orders, Esther loved the job.

The reopening of H. Fisher & Sons has also sparked a series of interviews with former clients and fashion industry actors, including a former manager of the Schreter's store. One notable landmark near the store was the L'Amour cinema, a Yiddish vaudeville theater.

The mini-documentary Madame Fisher, produced by Urbania in 2020, features interviews with Esther Rosenfeld Fisher herself. The documentary offers a personal look into the life of this remarkable woman and her contributions to the store and the community.

Today, H. Fisher & Sons stands as a testament to the past, a bridge to the present, and a beacon for the future. It is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in Montreal's rich history and the stories of the people who have shaped it.

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