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Loading... Shopping, Seduction & Mr. Selfridge (edition 2013)by Lindy Woodhead (Author)
Work InformationShopping, Seduction & Mr. Selfridge by Lindy Woodhead
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. A very interesting read about Harry Selfridge and his merchandise empire, how he got started in Chicago, and then moved out on his own to London. The time period descriptions of late 19th century Chicago and early 20th century London are very interesting. It is also interesting to read about how World War I, the 1920's, and the great depression affected sales, and by reflection, the populace. ( ) So interesting! Reading this I realized how much we take for granted when it comes to shopping. For fans of the Masterpiece show (which I am), you'll be happy to know that the writers of the show have done a fair job of sticking to the facts of H. Gordon Selfridge's life, save for names of employees, friends, lovers, and the like, and other dramatic elements that have been added to the show that make for good TV. Well done! Now I can't wait until next season. A history of modern retailing, as well as an overview life in England from the 1900s to 1920s. I was surprised at just how much social history the book covered. I had watched all of the PBS/British "Mr. Selfridge" series/seasons before reading this book. I was surprised about how much about Selfridge's life as portrayed in the tv show matched up with the book. (He did spend several days in a coma after a car accident, for instance.) The book reminded me of all the societal and technological changes he lived through (and embraced). no reviews | add a review
"If you lived at Downton Abbey, you shopped at Selfridge's. Harry Gordon Selfridge was a charismatic American who, in twenty-five years working at Marshall Field's in Chicago, rose from lowly stockboy to a partner in the business which his visionary skills had helped to create. At the turn of the twentieth century he brought his own American dream to London's Oxford Street where, in 1909, with a massive burst of publicity, Harry opened Selfridge's, England's first truly modern built-for-purpose department store. Designed to promote shopping as a sensual and pleasurable experience, six acres of floor space offered what he called "everything that enters into the affairs of daily life," as well as thrilling new luxuries--from ice-cream soda to signature perfumes. This magical emporium also featured Otis elevators, a bank, a rooftop garden with an ice-skating rink, and a restaurant complete with orchestra--all catering to customers from Anna Pavlova to Noel Coward. The store was "a theatre, with the curtain going up at nine o'clock." Yet the real drama happened off the shop floor, where Mr. Selfridge navigated an extravagant world of mistresses, opulent mansions, racehorses, and an insatiable addiction to gambling. While his gloriously iconic store still stands, the man himself would ultimately come crashing down"--"In 1909 London's first dedicated department store built from scratch opened in a glorious burst of publicity, spearheaded by the largest advertising campaign ever mounted in the British press. In his eponymous store Selfridge created nothing less than "the theatre of retail". His personal life was just as flamboyant, one of mistresses and mansions, racehorses and yachts. In this book Lindy Woodhead tells the extraordinary story of the early 20th century revolution in shopping and the rise and fall of a retail prince"-- No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)381.141092Social sciences Commerce, Communications, Transportation Commerce Marketing channelsLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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