Fashion and Shopping history – The Hodson Shop Collection
The Hodson shop collection is a slice of shopping history and a story worthy of a book. Two sisters, Edith and Flora Hodson, opened a shop in the front room of their house in Willenhall, West Midlands, in 1920. The shop sold all manner of ladies apparel and accessories, along with toiletries and fragrances. The shop is open until 1971, when Flora, finding the running of the shop difficult after her sister’s death, decided to shut the shop. However, the shop was not closed properly, Flora simply closed the door, leaving the shop and stock intact. After Flora’s death in 1983, the unique collection was discovered and handed over to the Walsall Museum.
Currently there is a rather fabulous exhibition of some of the items from the Hodson Shop collection taking place at the Walsall Leather Museum. The complete collection has over 3,000 exhibits that date from the 1920s to the 1960s, offering a fantastic look at the social history of the time in terms of what normal people wore and used. There are also pieces that tell us a lot about the fashion of wartime, with utility fashion a key part of the collection.
I popped along to the Leather Museum last week to take a look at the collection. I am fortunate enough to have seen lots of the pieces at first hand, I visited the Walsall Museum stores in the early millenium when I was working on a project with the museum, and was able to touch and view lots of pieces from the collection, so this was truly a lovely morning for me, swept up in the nostalgia of a shop that was forever locked in time.
The Hodson Shop exhibition is on display at the Walsall Leather Museum until 21st January 2017.
You can also read about the Hodson Shop project here.
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10 Comments
Stella
Wow it’s on display until my birthday – sweet. Looks like an interesting exhibition. Definitely worth seeing.
Sarah (Mum x3x)
Wow, this is fascinating. The exhibition sounds really interesting. I love a good look at history! I enjoyed reading about the shop, very fascinating. xx
Natasha Welch
This is really interesting! Love the old fashioned styles on display so strange how much fashion has changed
Sam
Interesting post! I adore the fashion of the 1940s especially
Sarah Bailey
Oh wow what an amazing exhibition – I wonder if my Mum would fancy going – could have a mother, daughter day there. x
Nicola
This looks like it would be interesting! I don’t know much about that era.
Ana De- Jesus
I love seeing the history of fashion, the 60’s and 70’s are my favourite so I would love this shop collection. Utility fashion was as you said big in the 20’s and 40’s.
Ickle Pickle
Oh wow – what a truly lovely and amazing story! So interesting. Kaz x
Jess
What an interesting story and it looks like a fascinating exhibition! Quite sad the shop was just left though 🙁
Kira
I love exhibitions like this, such beautiful things to see! I’ll have to try take a trip to see it for myself!