Archive for July 1st, 2009
Business as normal
Anniversaries remind us that Britain’s rich company histories are relevant to today’s business success stories, says Alex Ritchie, Ancestors’ man with the clipboard and bowler hat.
In my end is my beginning
It all began on a Leeds market stall 125 years ago. Michael Marks had one of the simplest and best business ideas ever. He sold everything for a penny. You don’t get much for a penny at Marks & Spencer these days, though I got a great denim shirt knocked down to a fiver. M & S remain at the forefront of retail innovation but, as you’ll have noticed, they have proudly decided to celebrate their 125 year history. And they have plans for their archives. Did I mention Leeds already?
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/media/press_releases/current09/marksandspencer_archive.htm
Anglo-Dutch giant washes whiter
That doesn’t quite work as a slogan, does it? While sometimes a company’s name is synonymous with its product (done any hoovering recently?), others have such a diversified product range that the company identity is often secondary to the brand. There can’t be many brands with as strong a profile as Persil. If you haven’t realised that Persil is 100 years old, you can’t have been paying attention. Persil is just one of a number of brands owned by the same company. The giant in question is unlikely to forget its fascinating history or premium brands, for it is serviced by a pretty nifty archives department. As you will see, if you follow the link.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/searches/locresult_details.asp?LR=1752
80 years of good reading
The publishing world offers business records of particular interest and value. The concentration of so many publishers in London proved unfortunate when, in 1941, the Luftwaffe decided to leave only bomb craters where the book trade used to flourish around St Paul’s Cathedral. So let’s appreciate what there is left, including this publishing house (founded 1929) famous for its stable of distinguished authors and its association with TS Eliot. All of which will be reflected in an exhibition at the British Library this autumn.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/searches/locresult_details.asp?LR=2553
Dublin’s gift to the world
There I was walking through Helsinki’s fair city, when I first set my eyes on a pub called Molly Malone’s. It was a reminder how in recent years the Irish pub has conquered the world. But what use is an Irish pub without a decent drop of beer to go with it? It was in Dublin in 1759 that Arthur Guinness founded a business producing the legendary stout that bore his name. Its staying power was enhanced by advertising of great creativity and invention. So the next time you enjoy a pint of the black stuff, you won’t just be slaking your thirst. You will be savouring 250 years of business history in a glass.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/searches/locresult_details.asp?LR=1634
Archives and globalisation
One can always learn from the experience of other nations, of course. My recent attendance at a seminar of the International Council on Archives (Section for Business and Labour Archives) in Helsinki showed that there are some very talented business archivists around the world. And it was a pleasure to meet them. But it was when I went shopping afterwards that an idea came to me. Stockmann is the biggest chain store in Finland and a great place for gifts, though it helps if you like reindeer motifs. Clearly, they have a history and they are doing something with it. So follow the link and don’t worry, it’s in English. And it made me smile as I followed the time line, so it should do the same for you. Especially when you reach their first computer!
http://www.stockmann.com/group/en/company_information/stockmann_through_the_years
It’s the business
It is impossible to do more than feature a fraction of the 32,500 plus businesses that are noted on the National Register of Archives (NRA). But there has never been a better time for users to check it out and test the functionality that allows you to search by different criteria. Click on the link and your journey into business history can begin here.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/advanceSearch.asp?subjectType=B