The traditional department store has evolved over time, and sadly, many have been lost over the years. Today's modern stores with their metal and plastic shelving could be classed as practical and accessible, yet seem cold and clinical. Perhaps a casualty of fast paced convenient modern living, especially when so much can be purchased online. But what were the old department stores and shops like inside? In this highlight, we take a look at some of the records of shopfitters, Elliotts of Reading.
A brief history of Elliotts
Samuel Elliott first ventured into business in 1860 as a builder in West Street, Newbury; and by 1869 was in Northbrook Street. Unfortunately in 1885, his Albert Steam Joinery Works burned to the ground. Although rebuilt, the business did not recover and by 1895, Samuel was declared bankrupt. Elliott's Moulding and Joinery Company Ltd, was formed by others with Elliott kept on as works manager. In 1902, a Mr J C Fidler gave money and land at Gosbrook Road, Caversham, and became the chairman of the board of directors of Samuel Elliott and Sons (Reading) Ltd, joiners and moulders. The firm survived until 1960, when it became part of Development Securities Ltd, a McAlpine's holding company, and merged with John P White (Bedford) Ltd. For five years Elliott's was known as Samuel Elliott and John P White (Reading) Ltd, reverting to its original name. Elliott's of Newbury, apparently continued until 1975. In 1977 Elliotts of Reading was sold first to EMI, and then to Trafalgar House Ltd. In the 1980s Elliotts was incorporated into Trollope and Colls Joinery Ltd, a firm with origins in Camberwell, London, and by the 1990s moved to a new site in Lyon House, Craddock Road, Reading, under the restyled name of Trollope Colls Elliott.
Shopfitters extraordinaire
What is intriguing, indeed fascinating to one of our senior archivists, are the records in the Elliotts collection relating to shopfitting. They take you back in time to when there was a real flair for displaying items for sale. Take a look at this display for handkerchiefs. There are the glass cabinets to display neatly folded handkerchiefs, as well as what could be describes as 'chandeliers' of hanging handkerchiefs. A lot of thought has been put into showcasing a fairly humble item.
Elliots promoted their display cabinets in brochures such as the one in the image at the top of the article, and the one below entitled 'This will Interest You'. The glass cabinets were called 'see all' cabinets, quite simply because you could see all the items for sale through all sides and top of the cabinet.
But it wasn't just inside the shop that Elliotts provided cabinetry for, they also designed and installed the outside of stores - the shop front that would (hopefully) draw people inside to purchase items. Below are two images showing shop fronts in Bond Street, London and Caversham, Reading. The Barri shop in Bond Street has the description of the fact that it displays "that note of exclusiveness which is a traditional characteristic of its environment". Whilst the Caversham Co-Operative Society store has a small grocer shop feel to it. All very neat, tidy and clear to see.
People of Reading may recall the large Co-Operative stores in central Reading as shown in the image below; it later became a Primark. The shop fronts and much of the interior display cabinets were designed and built by Elliotts. Although this is on a much larger scale, the workmanship that went into shopfitting was the same.
Elliotts did not just dabble with wood as this later 1970s shop front for C&A in Huddersfield with its aluminum doors and glass show. This was very modern in style and a huge step away from the traditional wooden look and feel of earlier stores.
Great workmanship
The attention to detail that Elliotts put into their work reveals the skills and great workmanship involved. They did not just make shop fittings, they also created wooden mouldings and panels for homes, libraries and other buildings across the country - they even fitted out the QE2. These two images illustrate this. The 1903 brochure cover for wooden mouldings has a drawing on the front of wooden panelling, doors and stairs, whilst the 1970s array of images show various interiors they created as well as how they did it. A great deal of skill and workmanship went into everything they created.
This blog focussed on the shopfitting aspect of Elliotts of Reading, but if are interested in discovering more about the company and what it did, please see our online catalogue for details of the collection.