A Mini Clery’s
Everything looks cuter in miniature, right? I thought I would post a cute and curious story about Clery’s as a little distraction from the current situation we are all facing with Covid-19. Come, lets step back in time to Dublin of 100 years ago…
Clery’s of O’Connell Street has an illustrious history, it was the first purpose built department store of it’s kind in Europe, predating the famous Le Bon Marche in Paris. It famously suffered during 1916 when the building was burnt to the ground. Following the destruction of the building the business moved to a Lower Abbey Street warehouse for six years while the new Clery’s was being rebuilt. This Clery’s & Co. mini replica (now housed in the basement of the Irish Architectural Archive) was produced to market to their customers the beautiful new Clery’s building which opened in 1922.
History Ireland says: Their new building—which still stands today—opened in August 1922 and, like its predecessor, used some of the most advanced building technologies of its day, including a ferro-concrete structure. It cost £400,000, half of which was paid for by government reparations for Rising-related damage. Despite the glamour and modernity of the building, however, Clery’s was not financially secure when it reopened in the early 1920s—it was saved only by the business acumen of the flamboyant manager, John McGuire, who in 1930 placed a Gipsy Moth biplane on sale in the store and ran a wildly popular lottery for customers to take a free flight over Dublin.
The architects for the new Clery’s was the work of Ashlin & Coleman Architects, one of the largest practices in the country at the time, however it is thought the building was largely designed by London architect Robert Atkinson who had worked on Selfridges and came to Dublin to work as an assistant in the Ashlin & Coleman practice. Once the building reopened the model stood right on the return of the famous Clery’s staircase – something which most of us will have in our recent memory.
I spotted this model a few years back in the IAA and loved its miniature size but its only on returning to take a closer look at the model that I saw something really remarkable from a fashion historian’s point of view. Not only does the model perfectly depict the architecture from the original clock, brass fittings, elegant columns and so on, but someone has painstakingly painted every window of the building with illustrations of how the windows ‘might have’ looked for the time and also the types of products Clery’s sold. In this showreel from 1932 the Clery’s voice-over explains in his cut-glass tones that, ‘Clery’s have nearly everything you need,’ and so too do these little paintings, there’s pictures of everything Clery’s sold from ladies fashions and dresses, millinery, mens hunting and shooting items, sports equipment, travel accoutrements, home items, wireless and furniture, food, chocolate and more.
These little paintings dig up some questions, who was the illustrator, did they paint products that they imagined would go into the store or was he/she commissioned to give exact products that would be arriving. I wonder who the miniaturist was?
In 2020 there are new plans for the redevelopment of Clery’s, which if it goes ahead has the potential to inspire a new golden age for O’Connell Street. In the meantime take a closer look and remember Dublin, its stores, and way of life, has risen from the ashes of many trials and tribulations before and will do so again.
Enjoy a view inside the store in the 1930s on Youtube here
How detailed the illustrations of fashion in the windows of this Clery’s model, showing the 1920s dropped-waist fashion silhouette.
Meeting Under Clery’s Clock
The meeting place for sweethearts in Dublin for over a century was under Clery’s clock. In living memory you met at Clery’s and went elsewhere but did you know that in the 1920s you could go to the Clery’s Ballroom for an afternoon dance or a dinner dance?
When we return to normal you will be able to see the Clery’s & Co model in the Irish Architectural Archive, 45 Merrion Square. Open House in October (should it go ahead) is also a good opportunity to view the model which is located in the basement.
With thanks to Colum O’Riordan and Simon Lincoln at the Irish Architectural Archive, 45 Merrion Square for letting me access the model. Images of the store interior courtesy of the Irish Architectural Archive.