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Adverts From Shoreditch Borough Guide

May 17, 2014
by the gentle author

The London of Borough of Shoreditch existed from 1899 until 1965. Yet although it ceased to be a political entity long ago, thanks to the official guides preserved in the Bishopsgate Institute, we may do our Saturday shopping there – especially if we are in line for some quality cabinet-making, upholstery or bedding.

Images courtesy Bishopsgate Institute

You might also like to take a look at

Adverts from Stepney Borough Guide

The Trade Cards of Old London

Business in Bishopsgate, 1892

Crowden & Keeves’ Hardware

11 Responses leave one →
  1. May 17, 2014

    WONDERFUL ad.s ! – and spanning a lot of years. How I wish such generalised advertising were around today …

  2. May 17, 2014

    Wonderful to see the old ads again. The shoes in the first one are fashionable today! Valerie

  3. ROBER GREEN permalink
    May 17, 2014

    From the day’s when you could buy goods that were actually made in the same area you live, heartwarming to see so many of the company’s proclaiming their pride in the quality of the goods they produce.

  4. May 17, 2014

    The former unclouded world of goods — from the “Wanted Yesterday” items to the “Glass Age”… Nostalgia at it’s best!

    Love & Peace
    ACHIM

  5. Stephen Barry permalink
    May 17, 2014

    What wonderful memories of when the UK and Londoners actually manufactured a wide range of products. My mother worked at Normans in Shoreditch in the 1950s and my grandfather had a small furniture factory in Hoxton Square, so many of the trade suppliers featured were names I thought I had long forgotten. Thank you.

  6. Gary Arber permalink
    May 17, 2014

    I am still using a set of Tyzacs “Slick Bits” – (Wood Drills), as good as the day that I bought them !
    Gary

  7. May 18, 2014

    These are simply terrific. Such wonderful illustrations and photographs.

  8. aubrey permalink
    May 18, 2014

    If my memory serves rightly; Snowman Ltd on the corner of Gt Eastern Street and Old Street later became a Gents outfitters called Myers. I used to pass it regularly. The last time I walked by it was all boarded up!

  9. Pauline Taylor permalink
    May 18, 2014

    Valerie took the words out of my mouth, those shoes could be worn with pride today!

  10. Lawrence Bentley permalink
    May 20, 2014

    My grandfather bought from Normans in the 1920’s and when my parents opened a shop in North Finchley in 1947 we opened an account with them as well.
    It was like going into a rabbit warren of different rooms filled with shoes and boots.

    You could pick up stock or they would deliver to you. We really missed them when they closed. They joined a group which had different wholesalers around the UK but the group closed Normans and worked from south of the river.

    There were quiet a few shoe wholesalers in the area Darnells were almost opposite.

    Normans was next to Barclays Bank. many a time I would load up and be away before the traffic warden arrived. Not today the warden would ticket you as you arrive.

  11. Aviva summers permalink
    June 25, 2019

    Sadovsky is my family’s company!! my father and I manage a facebook page about its history. They became beautility furniture! Amazing find for us!

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