Comments on: At S. Festenstein & Sons, Furriers

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 18:16:58 +0000

Does anyone remember Cyril Woolf – brother of Louis Woolf – L.Woolf had a fur showroom in Grosvenor Street in the 1950s and 1960s. They were bought by Hunter Furs. Please contact me if you recmember them. My grandfather Cyril was the coat designer.
Soon after Hunter Furs purchased the company, the fur trade declined .

By: Cherub

Cherub — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 08:25:50 +0000

When my husband was a chemistry undergraduate at Queen Mary College at Mile End in the late 70s, he had a holiday job with The Hudson Bay Company (which I think may have been at Lower Thames Street). He wore an apron and his job was to hold up pelts to show to visiting buyers.

I’m glad people wear fake fur now. Back in the early 80s it was fashionable to buy vintage clothing and I had a fox fur stole I found in a charity shop for £5. Dead fox felt a bit creepy to wear, so I sold it to someone else.

By: Sue

Sue — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 21:51:44 +0000

Fascinating shots of furrier’s business. My mother was trained in the fur trade just before the war. She was an out worker in the Sixties for a Bond Street fur shop called Sharpe Bros. I sometimes went up with her to return work. The brothers were known as Mr.Max and Mr.Maurice, I think they may have been originally from Russia but not sure. Even in the Sixties the building seemed archaic over many floors although it had a posh shop at street level but naturally we never went in there.

By: Paul Ridgway

Paul Ridgway — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 08:09:22 +0000

An interesting trade and we see the fruits of its work when the livery companies of the City of London dress for their ceremonial events.

There were in the 1950s and 1960s fur auctions by the Hudson’s Bay Company in the City.

Last saw a row of furriers in a street a few hundred metres south of Gare du Nord in Paris in 2013.

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 07:54:38 +0000

Gentle Author,
I think these are fantastic photographs. A lot if my family worked in the garment industry. I did while at school aged fourteen for inaptly named “Paradise.”

By: Rick

Rick — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 07:50:04 +0000

My grandfather, Morris Lustig was a tailor based at 10 Fournier Street next door to Solly Shamroth the proprietor of Gale Furs. His wife was a cousin of my wife.

By: Jeremy Rogers

Jeremy Rogers — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 06:42:21 +0000

Seeing your piece on the fur trade, I remember in the early 1979s walking along the street from Old Bollingsgate and seeing the doors of an old wharf side building open and the warehouse absolutely full of furs, piled high. I spoke to someone by the door (having a quick cigarette break) and he took me inside the doorway so that I could see the impressive stock. This was a warehouse full of pelts just as the world was starting to turn against such things. I presume this building became flats?