The Whiteley – The Estate HISTORY The dramatic history ofThe Whiteley is one of indefatigable ambition. Conceived by its namesake William Whiteley some 130 years ago as London’s first department store, the once global emporium of the senses has long-served as testament to the British entrepreneurial spirit.
1867 THE UNIVERSAL PROVIDER The Whiteleys customer base had grown steadily since its inception, and by 1867 occupied a row of shops along Westbourne Grove, comprising 17 separate departments. William Whiteley boldly claimed he could provide anything from a pin to an elephant (a claim that was put to the test by a doubting clergyman, who on 4pm on the day of his order received a very large delivery at his stables).
1927 MR SELFRIDGE
1851 THE VISIONARY
1896 ROYAL WARRANT
The store was extended between 1925 and 1927 to incorporate the iconic frontage that stands today. American businessman Harry Gordon Selfridge, who had become known for founding rival Selfridges
A youngYorkshire man, 20 years of age, visited The Great Exhibition in Hyde Park and was inspired to create the most lavish department store the world had ever seen. He returned to London 4 years later with just £10 in his pocket, determined to make hisvision a reality.
Whiteleys earned an unsolicited Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria – an unprecedented achievement.The store would later earn another Royal Warrant from King George V.
at 400 Oxford Street in 1909, purchased the store in 1927.
1872 AN IMMENSE SYMPOSIUM
1911 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STORE IN THE UK Whiteleys was rebuilt after the fire, but after some years and the passing of William Whiteley, a decision was made by the board to move to a new purpose-built store on Queensway, then called ‘Queens Road’.The store was designed by architects John Belcher RA and J J Joass. When the Lord Mayor of London opened the new store on 2 November 1911 in the presence of thousands, it was claimed to be ‘the largest shop in the world’, ‘the most beautiful store in the United Kingdom’, and ‘perfect in every detail of Architecture, Equipment, and Service’’
1863 THE BIRTH OF WHITELEYS Whiteleys began its existence in the form of a small drapery shop, which was situated at 31 Westbourne Grove.
By 1868, the store had expanded to offer dressmaking, and its first ventures outside drapery followed shortly after, with the addition of a house agency and refreshment room in 1872.The store would soon be described as “an immense symposium of the arts and industries of the nation and of the world”.
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