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Great Western Arcade

Kathsutton46 said:
Can you confirm Jerome's had s shop in the Great Western Arcade, everyone says it was in Union Street. This would be mid 1950s
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Hi

There was certainly a photographers shop in the arcade, about two thirds of the way down
on the right if you were walking towards Colmore Row. Quite a big double fronted shop, with
cameras in the one window, and astronomical telescopes in the other. Sadly, I can't remember
the name of the shop.

Kind regards
Dave
 
There was also a Sherwoods in GWA according to this thread post #14. VIV.

Camera / Photographic shops

I became a grandfather back in March of last year and, naturally enough, have been taking rather more photographs on my little digital compact than I normally would since then !! I was quite 'into' photography years ago and had quite a bit of 35mm gear languishing at the back of the wardrobe so...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
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Vivienne14 said:
There was also a Sherwoods in GWA according to this thread post #14. VIV.
Sherwood;s

Camera / Photographic shops

I became a grandfather back in March of last year and, naturally enough, have been taking rather more photographs on my little digital compact than I normally would since then !! I was quite 'into' photography years ago and had quite a bit of 35mm gear languishing at the back of the wardrobe so...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
Click to expand...

Hi,

Many thanks for the replies, unfortunately they all sound familiar,
but if I had to hazard a guess, Sherwood's stands out.

Kind regards
Dave
 
Pedrocut posted a copy of this photo in post #41. This is a c1906 tinted version of the same image. I notice there are ornate gates at the entrance to the arcade at the far end. Would these be the entrance on Temple Row ? Or the Snow Hill Station end ? Viv.

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Hi Kath i remember back in 1969/1970 me and my mate Kenny Cottier both bought suede jackets from a shop in the Great Western Arcade they were great we thought we were the bees knees, they always looked good and expensive. Raz X
 
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Quite a common view along GW Arcade, taken c1910. Love the elegance of the ladies clothing and the appearance of a leisurely stroll through the Arcade. But, it’s also advertising. The postcard producer/photographer (Lang) has an advertising board to the left in the Arcade. Handy for picking up your postcards of Brum before boarding a train at Snow Hill ! Viv.

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Vivienne14 said:
Quite a common view along GW Arcade, taken c1910. Love the elegance of the ladies clothing and the appearance of a leisurely stroll through the Arcade. But, it’s also advertising. The postcard producer/photographer (Lang) has an advertising board to the left in the Arcade. Handy for picking up your postcards of Brum before boarding a train at Snow Hill ! Viv.

View attachment 155776
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Hi Vivienne14 what a fantastic photo i always loved walking through the Arcade i bet these developers would love to flatten it and build another useless empty office block . Raz
 
This is an odd postcard. The image has obviously been coloured, but it’s not a good image as far as the people in it. However, the colouring helps to highlight the architectural features. The name Lang appears on the left-hand side, but I wonder if Lang produced postcards of this quality or type ? It appears to be a linen or clothes shop above the Lang’s sign, so maybe Lang’s had premises above the shop. It’s eBay description claims it’s about c1905. Viv.
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From Kellys 1904:

Lang Hugo & Co. swiss warehouse, 24 Gt. Western arcade

Presumably a Swiss warehouse concentrated on Swiss products
 
Must have sold ‘Pictures and postcards’ as a sideline then Mike (according to the pc in post #62). Wonder what were Swiss products ? Probably something to do with cloth
or lace perhaps judging by the products in the window. Viv.
 
This shop front (#19 -#22) in the GW Arcade might well still be there. I like this shop front design the way you walk through the window displays on either side. Gives maximum exposure to a lot of items for sale inside the shop.

A lot of lace doilies on sale, doubtless hankies, Irish linen tea towels and antimacassars too. (For our younger readers a ‘hanky’ was a thing you blew your nose on and antimacassars were protective covers for armchairs and settees (sofas) !). Makes you realise how many household items are nowadays rarely in use as well as their names dropping out of everyday use.

I’d have very much enjoyed “a visit to Bucklands”

Viv.

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Source: British Newspaper Archive
 
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“Built in 1902, the Great Western Arcade allowed shoppers to browse under cover. The arcade ran from Corporation Street to Colmore Row and housed several tea-shops. This view towards Temple Row was taken in 1904.

(The story of Ty-phoo and the Birmingham tea industry by Williams, Ken.)
 
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