G. & M. (G & M Tailoring)

The G & M Tailoring store was a clothing and tailor store open to African Americans during the mid-1900s. The tailor shop was advertised in The Green Book from 1954-1955. G & M Tailoring was located on 106 E. Hargett St. in Raleigh, NC. The building that housed G & M Tailoring was built in 1935. Before the tailor shop, 106 E. Hargett Street housed many other shops, such as cleaners, a shoeshine business, and an upholstery shop.¹ 

G&M Tailoring first made an appearance in the Raleigh city directory in 1952.The store was owned and operated by Joseph Miller. Before owning G & M, Joseph Miller managed Fines Men’s Shops Inc. at 201 Fayetteville Street. Joseph Miller shared that ownership with Charles Jenkins and Elvis Rand. Rand was born in 1919. After serving in World War II, he worked as a tailor at G & M. He was married to Ruth C. Rand and the couple resided at 719 Hadley Road in Raleigh. Jenkins worked at the store, though he resided in Durham, NC. Joseph Miller's wife, Loree Miller, also worked as a seamstress for the shop. The Millers resided at 916 St. Mary’s Street. The shop specialized in the laundry, dry cleaning, storage, and tailoring. G & M Tailoring was promoted through The Carolinian newspaper between 1953 and 1954. In 1953, G & M advertised that they were going out of business. However, they announced a reopening at the same address in 1954.² 

In 1962, Rand died due to congestive heart failure. He is buried in the National Cemetery in Raleigh, NC. The building that once housed G & M Tailoring still stands and currently Nicholson’s Barber & Style Shop resides in one of the units.³

Essay by Miranda Clinton, 2019

1. Victor Green, 1954 Green Book, 53; Green, 1955 Green Book, 54; “Subject Area Improved Sales,” Wake County Real Estate Data, http://services.wakegov.com/realestate/ImpSales.asp?id=0040343&stype=ad…; Hill’s 1933 Raleigh City Directory, 433; Hill’s 1935 Raleigh City Directory, 602; Hill’s 1936 Raleigh City Directory, 677; Hill’s 1937 Raleigh City Directory, 699; Hill’s 1938 Raleigh City Directory, 633; The Carolinian (June 21, 1947).
2. Hill’s 1952 Raleigh City Directory, 163, 239, 397; Hill’s 1951 Raleigh City Directory, 142, 273; Elvis Rand Death Certificate, Familysearch, https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1121/S123_492-0648?pid=1889338&bac…; Hills 1953 Raleigh City Directory, 314; Hills 1954 Raleigh City Directory, 398;  Hills 1953 Raleigh City Directory, 216, 419, 314, 520; “Christmas Newspaper Advertisement,” The Carolinian, December 27, 1952, page 9, North Carolina Newspapers, DigitalNC, http://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn80008926/1952-12-27/ed-1/seq-9/, September 2, 2019;  The Carolinian (Oct. 24, 1953), http://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn80008926/1953-10-24/ed-1/seq-8/#…; The Carolinian (Jan. 30, 1954) http://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn80008926/1954-01-30/ed-1/seq-2/#….
3. Elvis Rand Death Certificate, Familysearch, https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1121/S123_492-0648?pid=1889338&bac…; Bowers, Katherine, Derek Huss, and Rachel Jacobson, “The Green Book Assignment, North Carolina, Durham, Wake, Halifax, Vance: Historical Structure Report for the North Carolina Historic Preservation Office,” HI 587: Cultural Resource Management, North Carolina State University, Spring 2016, 20.