Gamages
Encyclopedia
Gamages was a department store in Central London
. It began in 1878 in a rented watch repair shop and, after quickly becoming a success amongst its customers, was established as a London institution. In time it was to grow large enough to take up most of the block on which it was situated. The store finally closed in 1972, but prior to that had been unusual in as much as its premises were away from the main Oxford Street
shopping area, being on the edge of the City of London
at Holborn Circus
. Gamages also ran a very successful mail-order business.
Many of those who were children at the time remember Gamages because of its unparallelled stock of toys of the day, and the Gamages catalogue which was used to publicise them, and was a well-loved gift during the autumn, in time for Christmas
present requests to be made. One of the store's main attractions was a large model railway which alternated between a day and night scene by the use of lighting.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It began in 1878 in a rented watch repair shop and, after quickly becoming a success amongst its customers, was established as a London institution. In time it was to grow large enough to take up most of the block on which it was situated. The store finally closed in 1972, but prior to that had been unusual in as much as its premises were away from the main 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,...
shopping area, being on the edge of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
at Holborn Circus
Holborn Circus
Holborn Circus is a famous location in London, on the boundary between Holborn and Smithfield. Holborn Circus is a roundabout.On one side lies the Church of St Andrew, Holborn, an ancient Guild Church, that survived the Great Fire of London. However, the parochial authority decided, nevertheless,...
. Gamages also ran a very successful mail-order business.
Many of those who were children at the time remember Gamages because of its unparallelled stock of toys of the day, and the Gamages catalogue which was used to publicise them, and was a well-loved gift during the autumn, in time for Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
present requests to be made. One of the store's main attractions was a large model railway which alternated between a day and night scene by the use of lighting.
External links
- The British LibraryBritish LibraryThe British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
shows part of a 1913 Gamages catalogue. Gamages 1913 catalogue - Gamages Lathes