Wickhams (department store)
Encyclopedia
Wickhams was a department store on the north side of the Mile End Road in London's East End
, closing in the 1960s.
35 years later the Wickham family had acquired the entire block except the Spiegelhalter's shop at no. 81 and had planned a major rebuilding of their shop. This time the Spiegelhalter family refused to part with their premises at any price. Their refusal to move led to the odd situation in which the new store was built around the family shop which continued to trade when Wickhams opened on both its sides.
department store in Oxford Street
, having a colonaded front but with a central tower and clock that Selfridges did not have.
The contract for the stone facade had been placed before it became apparent that the Spiegelhalters would not sell, so the solution was to erect the right wing shifted to the right by the width of the Spiegelhalter's land. Consequently, the two side wings look very similar with the central raised feature of the entablature (the piece running over, and supported by, the columns) positioned over the forth window in both wings. If the jewellers had been replaced, the entableture would not have been central on the right hand wing. Also, the central block with its tower would not have been in the centre, with the completed building having seven windows in the left wing and nine in the right.
As can be seen from the photographs, the facade of the building is complete right up to the boundary either side of the jewellers with even the column immediately to the right of the jewellers having a flat side, waiting to be completed once the Spiegelhalters land had been bought.
Because of anti-German sentiment flowing from the Great War, in 1919 the Spiegelhalters changed their names by deed poll to Salter.
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
, closing in the 1960s.
History
The Wickham family were originally drapers, trading from 69, 71 and 73 Mile End Road. No. 75 was occupied by the Spiegelhalter family business of clockmakers and jewellers. With the Wickham's continuing success, in about 1892 they agreed with the Spiegelhalters that they (the Spiegelhalters) would move a few doors up the road from 75 to 81 Mile End Road so that the Wickhams could take over and expand into the shop at no. 75.35 years later the Wickham family had acquired the entire block except the Spiegelhalter's shop at no. 81 and had planned a major rebuilding of their shop. This time the Spiegelhalter family refused to part with their premises at any price. Their refusal to move led to the odd situation in which the new store was built around the family shop which continued to trade when Wickhams opened on both its sides.
The Building
The two parts of the Wickhams building form part of a greater design, anticipating the eventual purchase of the jewellers and its incorporation into the whole. The building was originally designed to upstage SelfridgesSelfridges
Selfridges, AKA Selfridges & Co, is a chain of high end department stores in the United Kingdom. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge. The flagship store in London's Oxford Street is the second largest shop in the UK and was opened on 15 March 1909.More recently, three other stores have been...
department store in Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
, having a colonaded front but with a central tower and clock that Selfridges did not have.
The contract for the stone facade had been placed before it became apparent that the Spiegelhalters would not sell, so the solution was to erect the right wing shifted to the right by the width of the Spiegelhalter's land. Consequently, the two side wings look very similar with the central raised feature of the entablature (the piece running over, and supported by, the columns) positioned over the forth window in both wings. If the jewellers had been replaced, the entableture would not have been central on the right hand wing. Also, the central block with its tower would not have been in the centre, with the completed building having seven windows in the left wing and nine in the right.
As can be seen from the photographs, the facade of the building is complete right up to the boundary either side of the jewellers with even the column immediately to the right of the jewellers having a flat side, waiting to be completed once the Spiegelhalters land had been bought.
The Spiegelhalter family
Although of German descent, the Spiegelhalter family had lived in the East end of London since about 1828 working as jewellers and clockmakers. They had a number of shops before moving to 75 Mile End Road and then onto no. 81. Many family members were born at 81 Mile End RoadBecause of anti-German sentiment flowing from the Great War, in 1919 the Spiegelhalters changed their names by deed poll to Salter.