Recent Comments
bilson17 on The Legacy of J. Hepworth… bilson17 on The Legacy of J. Hepworth… Les James on The Legacy of J. Hepworth… bilson17 on The Legacy of J. Hepworth… bilson17 on The Legacy of J. Hepworth…
Author Archives: buildingourpast
Jesse Boot and Boots Cash Chemists
Jesse Boot (1850-1931) followed in the footsteps of his Wesleyan parents, John (1815-1860) and Mary (1826-85), by becoming a medical botanist, or herbalist, providing remedies to the poor. John had opened the ‘British and American Botanical Establishment’ at 6 Goosegate in … Continue reading
Posted in Boots the Chemist, Chemists' Shops
3 Comments
A Spotter’s Guide to Boots the Chemist
The Boots Scroll The Boots scroll – the distinctive signature logo – is familiar to everyone. Boots’ name is written in flowing cursive script, with a pennant flowing from the bar of the ‘t’ and an understroke emerging from the ‘s’. This … Continue reading
Posted in Boots the Chemist, Chemists' Shops, Spotter's Guides
1 Comment
The Story of Montague Burton – the Tailor of Taste
Introduction Montague Burton was not the first to establish a successful chain of tailor’s shops throughout Britain: Joseph Hepworth and his son Norris had opened their first shops in 1884. Nevertheless, between the 1920s and the 1960s, Burton was the … Continue reading
Posted in Burton, Fashion and Clothing
12 Comments
Burton’s ‘Modern Temples of Commerce’
Montague Burton began to build new shops – ‘modern temples of commerce’ – around 1923, when he had amassed around 200 branches. The next year the company opened in a wing of Woolworth’s new superstore in Liverpool where Burton’s architect, Harry Wilson, … Continue reading
Posted in Burton, Fashion and Clothing
18 Comments
A Spotter’s Guide to Montague Burton – the Tailor of Taste, Part 2
Art Deco Motifs Burton’s architect, Harry Wilson, had fully embraced art deco by 1930 and seems to have had great fun dressing façades in variants of this popular style. This involved the application of stylised geometric motifs, sometimes in profusion. By … Continue reading
Posted in Burton, Fashion and Clothing, Spotter's Guides
5 Comments
A Spotter’s Guide to Montague Burton – the Tailor of Taste, Part 1
‘The Tailor of Taste’ When Montague Burton became a limited company in 1917, it was registered as ‘Montague Burton the Tailor of Taste Ltd’. The slogan, as part of Burton’s name, formed part of firm’s logo, appearing on fascias, parapets, … Continue reading
Posted in Burton, Fashion and Clothing, Spotter's Guides
2 Comments
The Legacy of J. Hepworth & Son
For a full century, between 1884 and 1985, Hepworth’s was a thriving national chain of men’s clothing shops, with a strong line in ready-made and made-to-measure suits. Rivals in the same field included Montague Burton, The Fifty Shilling Tailor (later … Continue reading
Posted in Fashion and Clothing
209 Comments
A Spotter’s Guide to Historic Tobacconists’ Shops
Window Shelves Traditional tobacconists sold combinations of snuff, tobacco, cigars, cigarettes and pipes, often alongside confectionery, stationery, newspapers, or even a barber’s shop. They signalled their presence on the high street in different ways. For example, bottles, jars and canisters … Continue reading
Posted in Spotter's Guides
4 Comments
Dairy Chain: The Story of the Meadow Dairy Company
Previous posts have discussed the provisions shops of Lipton’s, David Greig, Home & Colonial Stores and the Maypole Dairy Co. All these businesses, though long gone, had distinctive shopfronts which can still – occasionally – be recognised on modern high … Continue reading
Building Our Past 