In 1947, Marshall Field & Co., the well-known Chicago department store, launched an eight-week charm school program aimed at its female elevator operators, often referred to as “elevator girls.

” The initiative was designed to elevate their public image and align it with the polished, glamorous standards associated with airline stewardesses of the same era.

Twice a week, selected operators were temporarily removed from their regular duties and brought to a training setting in the Chicago Loop, where they received instruction in etiquette, presentation, and communication.

The program focused heavily on voice training, teaching participants to announce floors clearly and pleasantly, with careful attention to tone and diction.

They were also trained to properly enunciate luxury product terms such as “lingerie,” “bric-a-brac,” and “budget millinery,” reinforcing the department store’s upscale branding.

Beyond speech, the curriculum included posture and movement instruction, emphasizing decorum in standing, sitting, and operating the elevators while maintaining a consistent, poised appearance for long periods.Additional lessons covered grooming and appearance, including makeup application techniques and standardized hairstyling.The program also incorporated physical “reducing exercises” intended to shape and maintain a uniform aesthetic among the participants.As a result, the elevator operators became a visually coordinated presence, often described as resembling a chorus line in their uniforms.

Although LIFE magazine observed that participants appeared more polished and confident, the program did not lead to measurable increases in store sales.It did, however, reflect broader mid-20th-century trends in service industry presentation and gendered expectations of female workers.The rise of automated push-button elevators in later years eventually made such highly specialized roles largely obsolete.

The program is also occasionally linked to actress Dorothy Lamour, who reportedly worked briefly as a Marshall Field’s elevator operator before her Hollywood career.