Where a gentleman buys his umbrella
Is there a lovelier shop front anywhere in London? Above windows framed in dark wood, the name »James Smith & Sons – Established 1830« is announced with a flourish. The initials are radiant in red and gold, and the strip of brass beneath with beaten lettering still has a shine. The signage advertises products that sound like props from a Victorian murder mystery: »life preservers, dagger canes, swordsticks« above one window, »riding crops, whips, Irish blackthorns« next to it. Sticks are still sold here, but umbrellas are the mainstay of the business.
James Smith founded his shop in Foubert Place, Soho, and manufactured umbrellas in a workshop at the back. In 1857, he moved to the present address in New Oxford Street, where there is still a repair shop in the cellar. In those days, every gentleman carried a stick, whether a white cane or something more rustic for days in the country. Umbrellas became increasingly common in Europe from the 17th century, but the first man to carry one in England regularly did so surprisingly late, from about 1750. He was pelted with mud by coachmen and sedan-chair bearers, who thought the invention a threat to their business.
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Address 53 New Oxford Street, WC1A 1BL | Public Transport Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern Line) | Hours Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 10am–5.45pm, Tue 10.30am–5.45pm, Sat 10am–5.15pm| Tip Though under threat from redevelopment, Denmark Street is still a centre of the music business, with shops selling instruments.
At James Smith, still a family-run company, the interior lives up to the façade. Above the counter, a gallery with a glass balustrade serves as the accounts department. The wooden shop fittings of drawers and cupboards are 150 years old. They display a fine product range: umbrellas with the head of Sherlock Holmes or a duck on the handle, conservative models all in black, floral patterns and lace for ladies, folding umbrellas in gaudy colours. The sticks come with a huge variety of knobs, and even integrated corkscrews or whisky flasks. Every wish can be fulfilled, but the management does issue one warning: »It is inadvisable to lend your James Smith umbrella to even your closest friend.«
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