Shopping, Seduction & Mr. Selfridge (46 page)

art collection,
149
–50,
217

and wife Rose’s death,
152
,
156

plans castle on Hengistbury Head,
154
–5,
169
,
220

buys businesses and properties in provinces,
155

early flights,
155
–6

builds residential houses,
157

anti-ageing measures,
161

eating and drinking,
161

buying policy,
167
–8

offers price cuts,
167

relations with children,
171

attempts to buy
The Times
,
172
–3

affection for Paris,
175

Charity Ball for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Institute for Nurses,
177

entertaining,
178
,
188
,
199
–200,
222

travels on continent,
184
–5,
222

granted residential status,
190

night life,
192
–3

affair with Jenny Dolly,
193
,
195
,
215
,
223
,
231
–2

wealth,
196
,
206

business advice,
198
,
217

estate,
206

sets up Gordon Selridge Trust,
213

buys racehorses,
214
,
217

acquires Whiteley’s,
215
–16,
221

buys steam yacht
Conqueror
,
215

acquires neighbouring properties to store,
219

love of flowers,
220
–21

moves to Carlton House Terrace,
222

optimism in Great Depression,
228

debts to company and syndicates,
235
–6,
252
,
254
–5

biography by Blackwood,
242

and Holmes’s presence at Board meetings,
242

injured in fall from scaffolding,
243

moves to Brook House, Park Lane,
244

in old age,
245
,
259
–60

celebrates Coronation (1937),
247
–8

naturalized as British citizen,
248
–9

foresees Second World War,
252

breach with son,
253

Holmes forces retirement,
254
–5

tax arrears,
254

writes final ‘Callisthenes’ column,
254

resignation letter to staff,
255
–6

visits store after retirement,
257

book collection auctioned,
258

bronze plaque and illuminated scroll presented to,
258

leaves Brook House for Putney,
258

pension reduced,
258

death and burial,
260

The Romance of Commerce
,
150
–51

Selfridge, Lois (HGS’s mother): HGS’s relations with,
13
–14,
63
,
169
–70

moves to Chicago,
39

accompanies HGS to theatre,
42

accompanies HGS and Rosalie on honeymoon,
44

character and qualities,
63

in London with HGS,
82
–3

dominance in family,
96

socialising in old age,
169
–70

death and funeral,
183

revisits USA,
183

grave tended,
220

Selfridge Provincial Stores Ltd,
213
,
249

Selfridge, Robert Oliver (HGS’s father),
13

Selfridge, Robert Oliver, Jr (HGS’s brother),
13

Selfridge, Rosalie Amelia (
née
Buckingham; Rose; HGS’s wife): engagement and marriage to HGS,
43
–4

loses first child,
46

children,
50
,
58

in London with HGS,
82

home and family life in London,
96
–8

revisits Chicago,
97

membership of Daughters of the American Revolution,
117

at Highcliffe,
146
–7

joins Red Cross in war in Christchurch,
146

opens convalescent camp for American soldiers,
146

death,
152
,
156

grave tended,
220

Selfridge, Rosalie (HGS-Rose’s daughter)
see
Wiasemsky, Rosalie

Selfridge, Violette (HGS-Rose’s daughter)
see
Sibour, Violette de

Selfridge’s (store), Oxford Street: opened (1909),
1
,
87
–8

design,
9
–10,
75
–6

planned and built,
74
–7,
80
,
83
–4

staffing and organisation,
80
–81,
96

window-dressing and displays,
80
–81,
108
,
136

internal display,
81

women employees,
82
,
122
,
134
,
142

advertising and publicity,
85
–6,
164

in-store demonstrations and exhibitions,
86
,
96
,
133
–4,
142
–3,
186
,
235

departments and services,
88

customer numbers,
90
,
195

customer service,
94
,
226

staff rules, discipline and training,
95
,
129
–30,
250

rifle range,
96

dressmaking workshops,
100

cosmetics and beauty department,
102
,
111
–12,
208

costume jewellery,
104

exhibits Blériot’s plane,
105
–6

eschews outside name signs,
108

shoplifting,
108
–9,
159
,
244

financial returns and profits,
110
,
121
,
144
,
208
,
228
,
232
,
244

Bargain Basement,
115
–16,
185

book department,
115

celebrates 1911 Coronation,
116
–17

delivery service,
116

charitable events,
120
,
123

gift vouchers,
121

pet department,
121

lift-girls’ uniforms,
122
,
174

ice-cream soda departments,
123

‘Dominions’ exhibition (1914),
129

Food Hall,
129
,
135
,
243
,
244

staff sales figures,
130

Palm Court restaurant,
133
,
158
,
199

in First World War,
134
–5,
142
–3

staff enlist in war,
134

War Bonds,
150

extension and tower planned,
153
–4

tenth anniversary,
155

hairdressing department,
163

price cuts and stock reduction,
167
–8

staff benefits and bonuses,
168
,
249
–50

election night parties,
176
,
181
,
188
,
226
,
234
,
240

extension to Thomas Lloyd building,
176
–7,
185

cooling system,
185

sports club and ground,
186

sports stars appear in,
187
,
201

signature window,
195

sixteenth birthday celebrations (1925),
195

music in-store,
211

escalators installed,
214

building completed (1928),
217

acquired by Lewis’s of Liverpool,
220

roof garden,
220

Christmas festivities,
225
,
246

Bargain Tables throughout store,
228
–9

aviation department,
229
–30

twenty-first birthday celebrations,
229

staff offer to work late without overtime,
232

‘The Queen of Time’ statue,
232

clocks,
233

‘Buy British’ campaign,
234

extension modified,
236

Silver Jubilee (1934),
237

celebrates George V’s Silver Jubilee (1935),
237

twenty-seventh birthday,
244

television department and studio,
251
–2

prepares for war (1939),
253
–4

bombed in war,
259

Palm Court closed,
259

houses US signals unit in war,
260

servants,
242

Settle, Alison,
201
–2

Shadwell Park, Thetford, Norfolk,
79

Shaw, George Bernard,
161

Shedd, John,
30
,
39
–40,
60
,
62
–4,
66
,
70
,
184

Sheffield, Julia, Lady,
133

Shelburne, William Petty, 2nd Earl of (
later
1st Marquis of Lansdowne),
166

Sherwin-Williams Paint Company,
71

shopping: in Britain,
78
–9

in modern life,
261
–4

Sibour, Beatrice de (
née
Selfridge; HGS-Rose’s daughter): birth,
58

upbringing and schooling,
96
,
146

marriage to Louis de Sibour,
171
,
209

divorce,
251

Sibour, Blaise de (Violette’s son),
175
,
250

killed in war,
259

Sibour, Jacqueline de (Violette’s daughter),
250

Sibour, Jacques, vicomte de: marriage to Violette,
170

flies round world,
230

visits Spain with HGS,
245

marriage breakdown,
250

Sibour, Comte Louis Blaise de: marriage to Beatrice,
171
,
209

divorce,
251

Sibour, Violette de (
née
Selfridge; HGS-Rose’s daughter): birth,
58

upbringing,
96

joins Red Cross in war,
146

marriage to de Sibour,
170

flies round world,
230

accompanies father to USA (1935),
239

marriage breakdown,
250
–51

settles in USA and works for Elizabeth Arden,
259

Sieff, Mr & Mrs Israel,
244

Siegel, Henry,
63
–4

Simpson, Wallis (
later
Duchess of Windsor),
225
,
243
,
245
,
247
–8

Singer, Isaac,
21

Singer Sewing Company,
21
–2,
29

Sitwell, (Dame) Edith,
202

Smith, Mrs Perry,
38

Smith, W. H. (bookseller),
115
,
139

Sousa, John,
52
,
107

Spealls (shop), South Audley Street, London,
82

Stanley, Albert
see
Ashfield, Baron

Stanton, Elizabeth Cady,
3
,
19
,
55

Stead, W. T.,
119

Steichen, Edward,
164

Steines, C. W.,
80

Steinway Piano Company,
51

Stern, Ernest,
248

Sterry, Charlotte Cooper,
98

Stewart, Alexander Turney,
7
,
11
–12,
22
,
33

stockings,
162
–3

Stone, Christopher,
211

Stone, Lucy,
55

Strauss, Isadore,
119

Stuart, General Sir Charles,
145

Stuart, Sir Charles, Baron Stuart de Rothesay,
145

Suddell, Richard,
220

Suffolk, Daisy, Countess of (
née
Leiter),
83

Sullivan Creek Mining and Milling Company,
67

Sullivan, Louis,
47
,
52
,
63
–4

Sutherland, Millicent, Duchess of (
later
FitzGerald),
127

Swales, Francis,
75
–6

Swan & Edgar (London store),
5
,
93
,
99
,
164
,
216

Swanson, Gloria,
163

Sylvester, Victor,
160

T

tango (dance),
123
–4

Tanner, Mr (of Selfridge’s),
104

Tatler
(magazine),
133
,
139
,
188
,
236

television: early demonstrations,
134
,
195

HGS predicts importance of,
199

Selfridge’s opens department and studio for,
251
–2

Temperance Movement,
160

Tempest, Marie,
120
,
202

Terry, Ellen,
99

Thaw, Consuelo,
224

Thomas, George Holt,
104

Thomson, Sir Basil Home,
189

Thomson, Christopher Birdwood Thomson, Baron,
230

Thorndike, (Dame) Sybil,
240
–41

Thrifty, John (bargain store),
250

Tilden, Harriet,
41

Tilden, Philip,
154
–5,
169
,
220

Time
magazine,
200
,
223
,
245

Times, The
: on economy in First World War,
125