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Report - - George Henry Lee department store, Liverpool, November 2023 | Other Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - George Henry Lee department store, Liverpool, November 2023

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stranton

subterranean explorer
Regular User
visited with @coolboyslim @GRONK
thank's lads, :thumb

In 1853 George Henry Lee & his brother, Henry Boswell Lee junior opened a Bonnet warehouse on Basnett street.
The brothers had learned their trade under their father, Henry Boswell Lee senior
he was the owner of a famous Liverpool Silk business operating several sites in the city.
George and his brother grew the business quickly into a department store,
becoming an exclusive shop with customers being led to the departments by shop walkers.
However the brothers business acumen was poor, so they employed an experienced buyer
in Thomas Oakshott to manage their business from 1861.
Thomas eventually took over as the business partner, from Henry Boswell
and solely ran the business from 1874 after George's retirement.
In 1897 the business became incorporated, at the time of Thomas Oakshott's death in 1910 the Oakshott family were the sole owners of the business.
The business continued to run under the ownership of the Oakshott family for another 9 years,
before they sold the store to American businessman Harry Gordon Selfridge.
Under Selfridge’s management, the store lost its exclusivity
and took on the brashness associated with Selfridge’s London store.
In 1926 the store was incorporated into the new Selfridge Provincial Stores group,
in which it stayed until its collapse in 1940 and subsequent purchase by John Lewis.
During the war years the store was affected less than other businesses,
the only issue was the closure of the Cotton Exchange due to lack of materials.
After the war the business grew, in 1961 John Lewis purchased the adjoining department store
from its owners the Liverpool Co-operative Society and merged it into George Henry Lee.
In 2002 the partners decided, as part of the store refurbishment
the business would be rebranded under the John Lewis name.
On 27 May 2002, George Henry Lee was no more & the store was reopened as John Lewis.
In 2008 John Lewis moved to a new building in the Liverpool One development,
the building was then used by retailers Poundland and TK Maxx.
the building is currently empty, awaiting development.

Facade

1 Facade.jpg


side & alleyway

2.jpg


roof

3 roof.jpg


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safes

10 safes.jpg


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attic, loft

23 attic, loft.jpg


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basement, cellar

27 basement cellar.jpg


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cont
 
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Nostalgia2000’s

28DL Member
28DL Member
It’s really sad to see this place in such poor condition. It’s crazy for me to remember this place being in mint condition in 2008, back then it was a really busy place. But now it’s fully become abandoned. It’s looks like all the life I remember seeing inside that building got sucked out of it.

I vividly remember messing about using that little platform lift by the steps back in 2006. Back when I was a kid. It’s nice to see that has somewhat survived. This is what that same space on the third floor looked like in 2018, only 5 years ago:

EADA6627-BFB4-4B48-9F61-95A4E1758FBD.jpeg

Image date: 25/10/18

9AF3FF1D-3200-4BF0-A3B7-0C19795A4904.jpeg

Image date: 25/10/18
 
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