Sepia photograph

Acc.no: PEZPH : 2006.54

Identification

Item: W B Michell, 10 Market Place

Description: William B Michell outside his shop at 10 Market Place. He purchased the shop to the right and photograph 2006.53 shows the new shop front. Part of the 1919 sign showing W B Michell and Son is displayed in the Penlee House Museum together with the large glass panel from the doorway advertising ‘Wedding presents, Souvenirs, Novelties in jewellery, watches and clocks’, engraved in gold. The shop, selling jewellery, clocks, watches, cut glass, sports cups, salvers, cutlery, etc. was a landmark site from 1897 until 1986. Such small businesses defined Penzance as a market town in the 19th and 20th centuries. Photograph 2006.54 shows clearly the gas lamp outside the shop. Offices are on the first floor with a store at the back; above that a resident watchmaker worked in the corner section with a workshop being above the offices. During World War Two,a large bomb landed opposite the shop destroying Poole’s Brewery, which in 2014 is the Greenmarket Car Park, blowing out half of the windows and destroying the plaster and some of the roof.

Condition: Good - some fading.

Description

Height: 217 mm

Width: 173 mm

Material: Photograph and card

Production

Method: Printed

Person: Unknown

Place: Penzance

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