“Liberty is the chosen resort of the artistic shopper.”
Oscar Wilde
Built on Great Marlborough Street in 1924, Arthur Lasenby Liberty’s department store is very much the people’s emporium for chic gifts. Six floors laden with luxury items; from the world’s finest fabrics and clothing to the crème de la crème of objets d’art. But Liberty has much more to offer than what it sells, and these treasures are hidden to many who shop here frequently. Let us unearth some of them here…
The brainchild of designer Edwin Thomas Hall and his son, this Tudor revival building was the second premises for Liberty, who moved its offices from Regent Street after the passing of its founder.
“I was determined not to follow existing fashions but to create new ones.”
Arthur Lasenby Liberty
24,000 cubic feet of New Forest oak timbers from two Royal Navy battleships; HMS Impregnable and HMS Hindustan were used in the new department store’s construction. In fact the Grade II listed facade is actually the same length and height of HMS Hindustan. The nautical theme continues with tiny painted glass windows taken from the Captain’s cabin of one of the ships, which can be seen on the upper floors of the building.
The large open centre space of the store is surrounded by smaller rooms off on each floor which make up the various shopping departments – all designed to make you feel as if you were in a large, welcoming home.
So, next time you visit Liberty, be sure to take a moment to look out for some of these wonderful artifacts. You now have the power to share their story with your friends…
https://www.libertylondon.com/
Interesting blog post.
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