The first Marks & Spencer in London - in a pokey Brixton railway arch!
- Thread starter editor
- Start date
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
lang rabbie
Je ne regrette les gazebos
Is the only way you can view the documents is if you pay for them?
Most of the stuff at Kew is catalogued but isn't digitised. You can go to Kew and see it for free, but they charge for reproducing it and sending it to you.
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
editor
hiraethified
Here's an updated feature on Marks and Sparks. Did Superdrug directly take over from BHS?
January 1930 Previously standing at 448-450 Brixton Road was general department store, Francis and Son Ltd.
Topped off by a delightful set of Victorian iron railings bearing the company's name, the store sold provisions, groceries, books, confectionary, wines and spirits.
Here you can see a final clearance sale in full swing before the building was emptied out and demolished.
To the right is the 'direct entrance' to the Bon Marche 'Mens & Boys Outfitting & Clothing Department.
Above the building can be seen the signalbox guarding the approach to Brixton railway station.
More views of Francis & Sons here: 1920 view and 1921 view.
4th November 1931 Resplendent in natty Art Deco styling, the new Marks and Spencer 'super store' is close to completion in this 1931 view.
The company had set up their first London store in 1904 as the Marks and Spencer Penny Bazaar in a railway arch in Station Road, Brixton.
The street facing billboard declares that 'Over 90% of all goods are British made' and there's 'Nothing over 5/-' (that's 25p in modern dosh).
To the extreme left is British Home Stores, with the side of the building advertising itself as the '3d to 5/-' store.
(pics: Lambeth Archives)
July 2009 Sixty years on and Marks and Spencers are still trading from the same premises, which enjoyed a considerable revamp in 2008.
Although the building is well looked after, it's a shame that a few original Art Deco features have disappeared, with the attractive windows going the same way as the glazed vertical strip.
The signal box was demolished in the early 1960s, and the BHS store is now owned by Superdrug - see 1963 photo.
http://www.urban75.org/brixton/history/marks-and-spencers-brixton.html
January 1930 Previously standing at 448-450 Brixton Road was general department store, Francis and Son Ltd.
Topped off by a delightful set of Victorian iron railings bearing the company's name, the store sold provisions, groceries, books, confectionary, wines and spirits.
Here you can see a final clearance sale in full swing before the building was emptied out and demolished.
To the right is the 'direct entrance' to the Bon Marche 'Mens & Boys Outfitting & Clothing Department.
Above the building can be seen the signalbox guarding the approach to Brixton railway station.
More views of Francis & Sons here: 1920 view and 1921 view.
4th November 1931 Resplendent in natty Art Deco styling, the new Marks and Spencer 'super store' is close to completion in this 1931 view.
The company had set up their first London store in 1904 as the Marks and Spencer Penny Bazaar in a railway arch in Station Road, Brixton.
The street facing billboard declares that 'Over 90% of all goods are British made' and there's 'Nothing over 5/-' (that's 25p in modern dosh).
To the extreme left is British Home Stores, with the side of the building advertising itself as the '3d to 5/-' store.
(pics: Lambeth Archives)
July 2009 Sixty years on and Marks and Spencers are still trading from the same premises, which enjoyed a considerable revamp in 2008.
Although the building is well looked after, it's a shame that a few original Art Deco features have disappeared, with the attractive windows going the same way as the glazed vertical strip.
The signal box was demolished in the early 1960s, and the BHS store is now owned by Superdrug - see 1963 photo.
http://www.urban75.org/brixton/history/marks-and-spencers-brixton.html
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Thanks for those, I've never ever really noticed the top of M&S before.
Did you take that last night? I saw you walking past the tube station with what looked like a small camera or phone in your hand. You looked like a man on a mission
editor
hiraethified
That would have been me, dashing about.Thanks for those, I've never ever really noticed the top of M&S before.
Did you take that last night? I saw you walking past the tube station with what looked like a small camera or phone in your hand. You looked like a man on a mission
teuchter
je suis teuchter
That was a rather nice buildng prior to being defaced with new windows and the vertical one blocked up, wasn't it.
The current M&S extends beyond that building, doesn't it? Into what was "Bon Marche" in that photo and, I think, also into the railway arches the other side.
The current M&S extends beyond that building, doesn't it? Into what was "Bon Marche" in that photo and, I think, also into the railway arches the other side.
As a child, I can remember Davey Griegs being in those railway arches as well
Didn't the mosaic floor in the entrance survive long after DG vanished? Sure I remember that.
editor
hiraethified
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Editor
I'm surprised that you've not pointed out in your bit about BHS that the Brixton store was the first store opened
I'm surprised that you've not pointed out in your bit about BHS that the Brixton store was the first store opened
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Similar threads
