The Story of Great Eastern
Great Eastern Trading Co was started as an army/navy surplus store in 1969.
Original creator/curator David Hahn had a love for all things Naval including old ships (hence the store being named after a legendary steamship). A couple of years after it’s beginning, David Hahn sold the store to a friend of his and bought a vintage freighter where he would meet his untimely death in the Caribbean.
In 1971, Neal Katz took ownership of the store. He moved it to its current location at 49 River St in Central Sq.
Neal needed help running the store. He had developed a relationship with 5 friends at a nearby commune. In 1973, the fabulous 5 enter the story–Abdul, Matthew, Sandy, Yehuda, and the incomparable Marlene Clauss. They would all work a day for free, live in the commune together and split the profits amongst themselves and Neal.
One by one they would all move on to do other things, leaving Marlene as the sole owner by the early 80’s.
Marlene strived, thrived, and succeeded in building and maintaining the legendary legacy that we now know as Great Eastern by tapping into and becoming one with the shop’s natural energy and beauty. Her creativeness and dedication manifested by her love of vintage and the natural magic of lost treasure and rediscovery. It became her life’s work and passion.
Marlene nurtured the marvelous legacy until January of 2017 when she sold it to Nephtaliem McCrary.
As a 25 year veteran of the Boston music scene and local fashion icon, Nephtaliem had been a customer of the shop for many years. He understood the soul of the store and what needed to remain unchanged for the legacy to continue. The local small business aspect of Cambridge is the lifeblood of this city. Although a challenge to stay standing in the current climate of corporate development, Great Eastern stands proud and tall. Still unique. Still magical. And yet still as humble and accessible as it was in the early 70’s when it began the journey to be what it is today.