Our relationship to shops and shopping has changed over the centuries and in recent years there has been a necessary return to local shops and increased online shopping. As the department store model begins to disappear from our High Street this gallery looks back at where it all began with images of London stores in their heyday.

The earliest model for a department store in London were the Pall Mall drapers Howell, Harding Co. who opened their store in 1796 at no.89 (LPA: 310477). It was divided into different areas: furs and fans, fabric for dresses, haberdashery, jewellery and clocks, and perfume and millinery. The popularity of department stores grew across London and in other major cities during the mid to late nineteenth century. Women were encouraged to embrace such spaces as social and cultural institutions.

Other early stores that later established a department store model were Fortnum and Mason who were originally founded as a grocery store in 1707 on Piccadilly (LPA: 138280). Debenhams had its beginnings in 1778 at 44 Wigmore Street as a draper’s ran by William Clark and later William Debenham joined him as a partner in 1813. Before the flagship store was established on Oxford Street another partnership emerged in Debenham and Freebody at 27-37 Wigmore Street. This was completed in 1908 and built by Trollope & Colls. (LPA:106034 & 113122).

Harrods in Knightsbridge is probably one of the most famous stores and many tourists make it a destination stop. Founded in 1849 (LPA: 282886) it is the largest department store in Europe. You can explore the luxurious interior photographs in this gallery. The Harrods delivery drivers can be seen on motorbike vans in this image from the 1920s (LPA: 230505).

Whiteley’s of Bayswater (LPA: 97201) was another one that began as a draper’s shop in Westbourne Grove in 1863 and by 1867 had expanded into 17 different departments. A fire devastated this store in 1887 and subsequently it moved to Bayswater.

The department store we know today in the West End was highly influenced by the presence of the theatres. People were drawn to this district in the mid-nineteenth century and the stores would cater for these audiences. The spectacle of window displays with their exhibitions of products and the later illumination by electricity added to the experience of window shopping after a show. In 1909, Selfridges arrived on Oxford Street and encouraged the shopping experience to be about pleasure rather than just for essentials (LPA: 103757).

There are many famous names which are associated with the traditional model such as Debenhams, Littlewoods, C&A, British Home Stores, for example, that have subsequently vanished or amalgamated with another business in an online entity.

Still going strong are Liberty & Co. (LPA: 134544) on Great Marlborough Street and in this image fronting on to Regent Street (LPA: 136858) and a smaller John Lewis (LPA: 103738) on Oxford Street, although some of these franchises are likely to down-size as our relationship to shopping changes.

Less familiar names can also be found in the gallery such as Barker’s of Kensington (LPA: 340793) which was founded by John Barker and James Whitehead (LPA: 11160), later Lord Mayor of London, in 1870. The new site was later developed as Derry & Toms in 1930s and after it closed in 1973 became home to Biba until 1975 (LPA: 340838). Other stores that have since disappeared include Arding & Hobbs Lavender Hill (LPA: 51157), Bourne & Hollingsworth (LPA: 101550) and Swan & Edgar (LPA: 135449).