Museum of Shops – How We Lived Then
Exhibition of 100 Years of Shopping and Social History
Aug 28, 2009
How did we live 100 years ago? What was life like during World War II? This exhibition shows it all through more than 100,000 exhibits shown in room and shop settings.
The Museum of Shops, located in Eastbourne, south-east England, is the brainchild of Jan and Graham Upton. The exhibition shows visitors how we have lived and shopped since Queen Victoria's day.
Highlights of the Exhibition
The collection, comprising over 100,000 items, is shown in a series of Victorian-style shop and room-settings. Highlights of the exhibition include:
- The Music Shop – The music shop features musical instruments, sheet music, gramophones and records. Also displayed is a telephone exchange made by John Logie Baird (aged 12) who later invented television.
- H. Poulton & Son Photographers – This installation includes a huge collection of cameras, many with folding bellows, alongside a display of family portraits. On one wall the history of the British Royal Family, from before Queen Victoria to the present day is depicted in coronation mugs, chine and other souvenirs.
- The Draper's Shop – This establishment is crammed with laces, trimmings, hats, frocks, socks, corsets and every type of haberdashery. Also shown are sewing machines, knitting wool, bobbins and darning mushrooms. Just so that men don't feel excluded the exhibition also features the Tailor's Shop, crowded with hats, gloves, braces, ties and waistcoats, alongside the Boston suspender, advertised as 'holding socks up and the shirt down."
- The Grocer – Visitors are reminded that many foods came in sacks and were weighed out as required. Other foods, such as sugar and rice, came in blue paper bags. As pre-packaging became popular suppliers competed with each other for eye-catching wrappings. The display shows how packaging changed during the war to conserve paper and ink. Famous brands, such as Oxo, Reckitt's Blue, Persil, Robertsons, Tizer, Virol can be seen alongside Bisto and the Bisto Kids, dating from 1948.
- Edwardian Kitchen – The Edwardian kitchen, lined with pots and pans, is staffed by scullery maid, cook and housekeeper. The maid is cleaning the cooker with black-lead and 'elbow grease'.
- Wartime Kitchen/Living Room – What was life like during World War II? The display includes a collection of items that were rationed. Most of the tins and packages carry notices encouraging people to salvage them for the war effort. The display also features an air-raid shelter with gas masks and other wartime equipment.
- The Admiral Lord Nelson – The exhibition even features the local public house with beer barrels on the counter, and a display of items connected with Nelson.
- The Village Post Office – The Post Office handled every letter and telephone call. In addition to stamps the shop sold National Savings Stamps, stationery, cards, pens, pencils, children's story books and comics.
- Nicholas' Toy Shop – Nicholas, the son of Jan and Graham Upton, is an enthusiastic collector of toys and games. The display includes toys of every kind including lead soldiers, china-headed dolls, model furniture and a doll's house, together with games such as Muggins, Winkle's Wedding and Jiggle-Joggle. The display also features an authentic Punch and Judy show.
- The Chemist – Visitors will see 'cure-all' preparations dating from before the Trades Description Act when a chemist could say almost anything he liked about his products. The exhibition includes pill-making machines, a pestle and mortar used for grinding powders, as well as Latin-labelled bottles and containers. A range of products including Beecham's Pills, Cod Liver Oil, Bile Beans and many others are shown.
- Holter & Hillyer Ironmongers – This shop window is crammed full of nuts and bolts, tools and equipment, pet foods, mouse traps and black-lead for the cooker. Paints, brushes, kitchen utensils, paraffin and polishes including Gumption, could be purchased here.
- The Office – There is even a replica office from the 1930s with an old typewriter, desk and chair set amongst a clutter of papers.
- Boot and Shoe Repairer – Kiwi, Cherry Blossom, Swift and Wrens' shoe polishes, Philip's stick-a-soles, a snob-iron (also known as a last) and tools of the trade represent the cobbler. This shoe repairer also sold spats, gaiters, shoes, sandals and boots to supplement his income.
- Confectioner/Newsagent/Tobacconist – This display brings back memories of Blue Bird toffees, Keiller's or Callard & Bowser's butterscotch, Nuttall's Mintoes and bars of chocolate by Rowntree and Nestle. Also on display are cigarettes, tobacco, snuff, vestas, matches, pipes and cigars.
Exhibitions in the Display Cabinets
The many display cabinets feature exhibits from a range of subjects such as:
- Christmas Past – the name Chistmas Past comes from Charles Dicken's tale, A Christmas Carol. The exhibition features a fascinating display of Christmas paraphernalia including Santas, cards, crackers, and decorations.
- Eggcups – The Upton's daughter, Lydia, has accumulated hundreds of fascinating eggcups from all over the world. The collection is still growing, with recent additions from Berlin and India.
Further information regarding opening times and admission prices can be obtained from the Museum of Shops at 20 Cornfield Terrace, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4NS. Telephone: +44 (0) 1323 737143, or e-mail at howwelivedthen@btconnect.com.
The copyright of the article Museum of Shops – How We Lived Then in Art Galleries/Museums is owned by Frances Spiegel. Permission to republish Museum of Shops – How We Lived Then in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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