Rackhams Store

[paul stacey]

My Nan loved Rackhams,

 

[Vivienne14]

The jewellery and cosmetic counters when the new Rackhams opened in the 1960s. It looks glossy and very much like the interior of a high end store 30 years+ later. Only the cash till on the cosmetics counter gives its age away. Viv.

 

[Covroad]

On this theme see attached map of the city centre in the 70’s the index on the right Lists the main departmental stores Lewis, BHS, Wollies , etc the map has some foxing on it but is readable.

Not sure where I sourced the map from , I think it may have been The ABC of Small Heath a book I inherited.

 

[Rosievoice]

I fear that the Rackhams / House of Fraser shop is doomed. I passed through it last month and was dismayed to see that it was a clearance outlet of sorts. The cosmetics hall was empty, and the shop floor was strewn with trestle tables covered with reduced goods.

 

[Rosievoice]

We are losing so much.

 

[Covroad]

On this theme see attached map of the city centre in the 70’s the index

 

[Rosievoice]

There’s only Boots and M&S remaining. Too sad for words.

 

[Cameron]

Sad news…. HOUSE OF FRASER HAS CONFIRMED ITS CLOSING….

It’s Solihull store!

My Mum used to work at the Birmingham Beatties, which is what the Solihull store started as.

On a side note, the Solihull store was still running as a Beatties store (via companies house) and leased the building to House of Fraser (this was until 2018).

 

[Jon_Clarke]

Hi Viviene, there seems to be some interest with the extent of the original Rackhams, which was in fact a site owned and traded as Wilkinson and Riddell until 1881, when they retired to concentrate on their wholesale business and John Rackham the dress fabirc buyer and William Mathews the linen buyer took it over and ran it as Rackham and Mathews, until William Mathews retired in 1888, when it then became known as Rackham and Co and some time later Rackhams.
Even though the Rackhams store as shown on the photo you posted covered an area down Bull Street and up Temple Row up to The Great Western Arcade, the overal site owned by Wilkinson and Riddell was much larger, as you will see from this old layout plan (attached ) of their empire. As for the somewhat amusing comments about goings on " at the Back of Rackhams" this all stemmed from the Olde Royal Hotel ( see other two attached pics ) The place started out very important once with even Royalty staying there in the late 1700's and early 1800's.....but alas by the 1900's the hotel was as the historians put it a house of ill repute and carried on like this right up to when we demolished it for phase Seven of our New Store build program in the late 1960's. So hopefully this will answer some questions many are asking about the layout and exactly the extent of the site. cheers John. ps. just come across another document which may be of interest to some, why the streets around Rackhams were so named.....( attached pic )

Thank you. John, for all the fascinating information on Rackhams in its various developmental stages and guises. An article in the Birmingham Mail from last year [https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/nostalgia/rackhams-memories-60s--70s-23744061] indicated that you were publishing a book on the history of Rackhams - where can I obtain a copy? Many thanks.

 

[Jon_Clarke]

A photo of the recently completed Rackham’s store (from The Surveyor & Municipal Engineer, 10 December 1960), with the office tower part of the development still under scaffold. At the time, this 4½-acre site was one of the largest post-war developments in Europe, and besides the store for Rackhams (Harrods) Ltd, included an arcade of 26 shops and a 150ft-high office block – until the construction of the BT Tower in 1963-5, Birmingham’s tallest building. The whole development sits on a 6ft-thick concrete raft, which bridges the railway tunnel below.

 

[Jon_Clarke]

Advert from the Illustrated London News, giving further engineering details about the project, and a couple of photos of the interior of Rackhams, showing the elegant stairs and banks of escalators.

 

[Jon_Clarke]

I visited the former Rackhams yesterday (floors 0 - 4, which are still accessible), but there seems little in the way of original '60s furnishings, fixtures and fittings - only areas of herringbone-pattern parquet flooring, the distinctive angled Crittall windows and travertine-faced lift surrounds.

An original description of the building mentions that the principal 6th-floor restaurant (with the mural by Anna Zinkeison) was panneled throught in Australian Walnut. I wonder if this - and the mural - still survive?

 

[Vivienne14]

I remember the staircase leading into the store from Temple Row as I regularly used it as a cut through to Corporation Street - yes it was elegant, winding and topped with a highly polished curving brass rail. Also remember the faced walls, very classy texture and of course every counter was highly polished and set off with spot lighting.

The question about the painting has been raised before - I think it was in the Lilac Room. Probably now gracing the walls of some large house ! There's an image somewhere, probably on this thead.

Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

Here it is - all 24ft of it.

Source: British Newspaper Archive

Viv

 

[DavidGrain]

I remember the was a branch off North Western Arcade leading to Bull Street and the entrance to the office block was in that part of the arcade.

 

[Jon_Clarke]

Thank you, Vivienne; it must have looked stunning in all its colourful and sizeable glory! And it probably ranks among her final commissioned works, shortly before a mural commissioned in 1962 for the Royal Chapel at Windsor Great Park (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Zinkeisen).

Theres was other artistic input also, from American artist William Hankinson. as this description of the store from The Drapers Record (3 December 1960) notes:

There is no exaggeration in the store's claim that it is the finest in Europe today. Every detail has been meticulously planned, after several years of research, to give easy, enjoyable and comfotable shopping in tasteful surroundings.

The principal colour theme throughout the store is golden. Everything, down to counters, stock units and display equioment is either edged in brass or entirely made of brass. The background colours throughout the store are in neutral shades, relieved by hand-painted murals by American artist Bill Hankinson, the whole effect being to focus attention on the merchandise on display and to create atmosphere.

The standard of interior display and window dressing, planned and directed by Welsh-born Tom Ellery, display artist formerly with Saks of Fifth Avenue, is an impressive feature and is likely to establish a new trend.

According to one website [https://hopewellhistoryproject.org/2020/09/05/more-hopewell-train-station-art/] William Joseph 'Hank' Hankinson (c1922 – 1996) was 'well known as a muralist, especially his Venetian murals for a N. Y. City ballroom'.

I imagine his work for Rackhams had a similar fate to Anna Zinkeison's - as you say, probably gracing the walls of some large house!

 

[Vivienne14]

Harkinson's description as 'golden' is spot on - well it was when I last saw the store. There certainly was a lot of polished brass. I'd have described it as glossy, more because the lighting was so good in there with light reflecting off the numerous glass counters. When the 1960s Corporation St shop opened it must have been a (pleasant) shock to find almost see through shop counters. Previously counters were glass fronted with wooden drawers offering a limited view of stock packed into the drawers. Whereas Rackhams had virtually see-through glass-sided counters, some with artfully displayed merchandise to tempt the customers.

If you compared it to other shops like Greys, nothing could touch Rackhams for their presentation in-store. And of course we all remember Rackhams window displays. Lots of BHF members have mentioned these over the years.

Sad to say the loss of so many departmental stores has probably destroyed the good old-fashioned pastime of "window shopping".

Viv.

 

[Jon_Clarke]

Harkinson's description as 'golden' is spot on - well it was when I last saw the store. There certainly was a lot of polished brass. I'd have described it as glossy, more because the lighting was so good in there with light reflecting off the numerous glass counters. When the 1960s Corporation St shop opened it must have been a (pleasant) shock to find almost see through shop counters. Previously counters were glass fronted with wooden drawers offering a limited view of stock packed into the drawers. Whereas Rackhams had virtually see-through glass-sided counters, some with artfully displayed merchandise to tempt the customers.

If you compared it to other shops like Greys, nothing could touch Rackhams for their presentation in-store. And of course we all remember Rackhams window displays. Lots of BHF members have mentioned these over the years.

Sad to say the loss of so many departmental stores has probably destroyed the good old-fashioned pastime of "window shopping".

Viv.

It must have been quite an experience going round the store in its heyday, and it certainly seems like it was streets ahead of the retail competition - this also from the Drapers Record description:

Every display model is, in fact, based on a real person, made from photographs and drawings, with real hairstyles and make-up colourings.

Idea behind the displays is to help shoppers to visualise easily how they themselves would look in the clothes. Display is used as something more than selling, putting over ideas on how clothes should be worn and showing the various kinds of accessories which enhance their appearance.

Window backgrounds are all black, all models are free-standing (eliminating pedestals), and there is a minimum of props, which enables the presentation to be concentrated on merchandise.

Principle motivating the arrangement of fashion departments is to divide fashions into more expensive and exclusive merchandise, and “volume” departments for inexpensive fashions. The ain in the model rooms is to compete more effectively with the small, exclusive model shops by giving a high standard of personal service and individual attention.

Sadly, I imagine the current ‘”volume” departments for inexpensive fashions’ are a far cry from what was ever originally envisioned ..!

 

[Radiorails]

Indeed Vivienne, my wife still remembers the pastel yellow coat that I bought her in 1963 or 1964. She wishes she still had or a similar style. It was on the occasion of my wife's first visit to Birmingham after our marriage about a year ago. It wasn't cheap - well they didn't cater for the rag market or Kings Hall clientele.
What amused us was that the sales staff thought we usually wore tweeds in Devon.