- Celebrate the 150th anniversary of René Lalique's birthwith this collection of his earliest creations - $6,600.00
In the mid-1980's I was employed as a sales person at Caplan Duval in the Cavendish Mall.
I had grown up selling fine English bone china and Irish linens in my family's store, Metropolitan News Agency at 1248 Peel Street in the heart of Montreal. I love fine chinaware. I enjoyed handling the pretty cups and saucers and the Lalique crystal at Caplan Duval.
What I did not enjoy was being treated like an indentured servant by the owner, Frances Eisenberg. "Frances", as the staff called her, was known to be a philanthropist and I know she had her moments of kindness. But Frances was a slave master in the store.
Frances treated certain members of the sales staff as her personal friends. They were the ones from her social circle who had rich friends. Those friends came into the store on rainy days because they were bored. They came into the store to spend hundreds, thousands of dollars.
I always remember the two of that kind who debated whether or not to buy a $3,000.- plus Lalique vase. The question one asked the other was, "would this new vase cast a shadow if it was placed on the hall table next to the Baccarat vase?"
I couldn't fathom this kind of gluttony. Nothing to do on a rainy day but decide whether or not to spend thousands of dollars for the heck of it. But what if the Lalique vase cast a shadow on the Baccarat? Tsk-tsk.
It was hard to stomach. But the woman would buy the vase, today or on the next rainy day and the sales lady, Mrs. Eisenberg's buddy, would enjoy a rich commission.
As for the ordinary sales staff, like myself, who were not from that social circle, we were treated with contempt. Mrs. Eiseneberg would stand outside the bathroom checking her watch when one of us would require a visit to the toilet.
Most of the time, Frances marched across the huge store, back and forth at a pace, guarding her goods and keeping a sharp eye on the workers lest, heaven forbid, any hand might be caught idle.
Back and forth, she would march. Hup-two-three-four ! We were watched. We dusted, we served the customers, we re-stocked the shelves. We dared not stop.
Before going into work each day, I would park in front of the mall and sit in the car and cry. Then I would dry my tears and go in to start my day.
While the ultra rich were catered to by the favoured sales ladies, I came under fire for daring to spend a little time with a young working class couple who were planning to marry. I was told that it was a waste of time to bother with them because they could not afford the better china and cutlery. Get on with it. Don't waste time on them.
One day, one of the sales ladies in my department was away, another at lunch. I was alone to serve the customers, answer the phones, pack the orders, etc. And Frances Eisenberg came down on me for not working fast enough. That did it. I broke.
I did what every oppressed worker dreams of doing. I needed the job but I couldn't take anymore abuse.
I looked right at Frances Eisenberg, and I said - without raising my voice -
" Do it yourself. I quit ."
Frances Eisenberg was stunned. Her jaw dropped. Apparently, no servant ever dared to speak to her so directly.
And then I did something that I still remember with joy.
I got my purse and I headed for the door. And as I walked through one department after another, I lifted my arms up in the air and I sang loudly -
" Free at last ! Free at last !
Thank God Almighty, I'm free at last !"
Ah ! That was such a good day.
Now that I think of it, my father did the same thing to my Uncle Sam at Metropolitan News after serving there for 37 years. But Pop didn't throw his arms in the air and sing, "Free at last." He just quit - at long last.
See PHYLLIS CARTER'S JOURNAL - UNCLE SAM AND THE BESWICK HORSE - http://phylliscartersjournal.blogspot.com/2011/04/uncle-sam-and-beswick-horse_18.html
Phyllis Carter
2 comments:
I too worked for Frances and was not one of her "chosen ones" I grew up middle class. I was white, young, pretty and well spoken. I had never imagined I would be treated like a second class citizen in my own country.
I suspect many of the "rich" customers were not rich at all. They would purchase thousand dollar items but most would return them after their dinner party (sometimes not even clean). I had the pleasure of showing one such woman champagne flutes. I started her at 15 dollars a stem (to see whether I should go up or down as I dare not start at stems that were over 100 as I thought that was obnoxious). The woman was my age. She dropped the glass on my foot. It smashed. Without even acknowledging the broken glass she said "No - show me something different.
Don't get me started on the brides! They didn't give a hoot about the gifts they just wanted money in their bridal accounts to spend for the next 3 years on presents for their friends who only return them for money in their accounts. Many bridal gifts were returned unwrapped and usually with the card still in them.
That was many years ago. I learned a lot there. I did have the pleasure of working for Delcita Richards who was a very positive influence in my life and had grace and class.
I would not put up with the crap today and put anyone in their place who tried to treat me like that.
To Canadian living in Texas - Thank you so much for your input. It helps to know I am not the only one who experienced the ugly gluttony at Caplan Duval. It should be noted that Eisenberg made generous donations to the Jewish General Hospital and, in that way, must have helped many people. But it is not unusual for "tyrants" to make big donations to various charities. For example the Shriner's Hospitals do wonderful work helping children with burn injuries and bone problems. But behind the Shriners' hospitals and their fun parades are the Free Masons with great networks of power and secrets not known by most people. And to cover the whole truth, the Eisenbergs had their own suite in the Jewish General Hospital, so their "generosity" was not totally selfless.
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