Bailey Banks & Biddle is a retailer of jewelry formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1832.
History
Bailey & Kitchen, as it was originally known, was founded in Philadelphia in 1832. It become Bailey & Co. in 1841, and Bailey Banks & Biddle in 1878.
At the turn of the century, Bailey Banks & Biddle was commissioned by the U.S. Government to update the Great Seal of the United States; its design today remains the official version of the seal. The company also designed and made many of the military medals that are still used today, including the Medal of Honor, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
In 1962, Bailey Banks & Biddle became a part of the Zale Corporation. Zale opened many Bailey Banks & Biddle stores in numerous cities. In 2007, Zale Corporation sold the 65-store jewelry chain to Finlay Enterprises. Finlay Enterprises filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2009, and Bailey Banks & Biddle was acquired by the current owners in the spring of 2010.
The Bailey Banks & Biddle factory building stands today at 1217 Sansom St, in center city Philadelphia. Though it was slated to become a hotel in 2012, it is now an office building with a variety of creative and technical industry tenants.