Switzers at Christmas
Switzer’s Department store is something which conjures up a lot of nostalgia at this time of year. For many who remember seeing the windows as children all lit up with glittering toys and figurines they were what Christmas dreams were made of. I too have a memory of being brought through the crowds on Grafton Street in the 1980s at Christmas to get a glimpse of a magical winter scene, I remember seeing white moving polar bears and beautiful toys.
The name of the store has a Christmassy feel, it almost seems like it was made up to sound ritzy and Christmassy, but it was actually a family name, the store started life with a certain Mr. John Wright Switzer who purchased No. 90 Grafton Street in 1838 and established a tailoring business and a small shop for the sale of high class drapery. Switzer earned a reputation for kindness and fair dealing, and these added to the fact that he was ambitious enabled his business to thrive and so the business lasted until the 1990s when it was bought by Brown Thomas.
Last summer my cousin (Gill Powell) who knows I have an interest in the retail history of Dublin sent me a package of Switzers Christmas Gift catalogues from 1943-1953. She had them as her aunt was the Switzers illustrator and had kept them safely over the years, amongst the package were also the first proofs of Switzers adverts her aunt had illustrated for press, no doubt produced for the business to sign off before print.
Illustrations by Ethel C. Lee
The issues span a decade of Christmas shopping where trends and gifting ideas can be traced over this time, but also strangely some of the world events are also mentioned in their pages, the opening paragraph in 1943 describes how Eire is the only place in Europe at peace and another in 1945 describes how that particular year (the year WW2 and the Emergency in Ireland ended) was one to be thankful for, the catalogue is appealing to customers to make this Christmas a ‘THANKS’ – giving Christmas. It sure was a Christmas to be thankful for for many, but with austerity and food shortages, the luxuries of Switzers was a dream away for most people, but some of the glamour and magic could be enjoyed on the pages of the catalogue and in the store.
Switzers Department store, now Brown Thomas Dublin. Note the the Wicklow Street entrance to the right, Brown Thomas still has the Switzer’s sign present in tribute to the store.
Captured in the pages of the catalogues are the gifting aspirations of the nation for this period of time. What is also striking about them is how they show how marketing is still so similar, even in the age of social media. The need for a catalogue for Christmas, something that people would pore over to make their gifting decisions is still important as it was then, also the types of products on sale from evening bags, sumptuous leather gloves, beauty gift sets, pretty lingerie and men’s ties, socks and pyjamas are still very much acceptable as gifts today (especially in these vintage obsessed times) so many of these illustrated gifts are still stylish to modern day eyes, the only two gifting clangers I could see which wouldn’t be acceptable in 2018 were the aprons which has a slogan saying ‘Aprons and overalls – always an acceptable gift’ – ha! And dainty handkerchiefs, but having said that handkerchiefs could be due a revival to those who think sustainably, right?
Ciro of Bond Street bags. Illustrations by Ethel C. Lee
So take a scroll below to step back in Christmas shopping of days gone by, what would you buy were you a time traveller and better still what Switzers memories do you have to share here too- perhaps they don’t go as far back as the 1940s and 1950s but I’d love to hear from you.
Wishing you and yours a very glitzy, Switzery Christmas.
The Little Museum of Dublin have a great video about visiting Santa at Switzer’s and receiving a special badge “I’ve seen Santa at Switzers,’ see video here...
With thanks to Gill Powell for gifting me the beautiful Switzers catalogues. Happy Christmas to you and family Gill.
These illustrations were created by Ethel C. Lee an aunt of Gill Powell.