The Wellesley
Once called “The Paris of Niagara Falls,” the Wellesley Dress Shop, and those affiliated with it, have been given new life through art.
The Wellesley Dress Shop, later known simply as The Wellesley, was a high-fashion clothing store for well-to-do women. Founded in 1937 by Esther Friedman, the store was located at 1801 Main Street in Niagara Falls, New York. Esther had previously worked in several dress shops in New York City, before deciding to open her own business in the Falls. In 1940, she married the brother of Polly King, Harold Nathan Kirtz, who later became employed at the Wellesley.
Polly King, a local artist, became a key figure at the Wellesley, frequently assisting her brother and sister-in-law by designing advertisements and lending her artistic vision to help decorate the large store windows that faced Main Street. In 1950, her eldest son Peter, who worked in advertising, created the
Wellesley TV Fashion Shows, a weekly program where Polly acted as moderator while often sketching the models in their gorgeous dresses.
Following the death of Harold Kirtz in 1962, Polly’s younger son Don King took over management and ownership of the Wellesley. Don had worked at the store since high school and had a degree in business administration and human relations from the University of Miami. He helmed the store for 45 years.
In March 1966, the Strand Theater in downtown Niagara Falls hosted a Wellesley fashion show. Polly drew a poster for the show, which referred to the Wellesley as the “Paris of Niagara Falls.” That September, Don opened The King Galleria in the basement of the Wellesley. It featured Polly’s paintings, as well as furniture, pottery, and sculptures for sale by local artists.
With a growing number of businesses departing Main Street, population loss in Niagara Falls, and the construction of shopping malls, the Wellesley closed its Main Street location in 1983. It relocated to the newly constructed Rainbow Centre in downtown Niagara Falls for four years, before moving to Williamsville in 1987. That location closed in 2007.
Like certain fashions that never go out of style, the Wellesley lives on today thanks in part to Polly King and those who have championed her artistic legacy. In her lifetime, Polly painted at least 350 portraits of women from Niagara Falls. Many were employees, models, or customers at the Wellesley, including Rennie Ryan, Patricia Gillick, Martha Moses, Deborah Sawicki, Alicia Granto, Dorothee Ditzen, Alfreda “Fritzie” Pluzdrak, and Lynne Schuster—to name a few.
These women are now the subject of an incredible public art installation conceived by the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area in 2023. Entitled “Women of Niagara,” the outdoor project showcases 74 of Polly’s portraits in the windows of the former Jenss Department Store. Located at 1708 Main Street, the building is just steps away from where the Wellesley once operated.
To learn more about Polly King and her artwork, visit pollykingstudio.com and discoverniagara.org
Niagara Falls National Heritage Area
