Brown's of Chester

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[edit] History

Brown's of Chester first opened in the late 18th century as a small millinery and haberdashery shop in Eastgate Street. The proprietor was Susannah Brown. In 1828, the firm opened a fashionable department store just to the west of the original shop, on the site of the medieval Honey Steps. The severe Greek Revival building was much admired at a time when classical styles were the predominant fashion, and Thomas Harrison's great neo-classical buildings at Chester Castle were only just finished. Eastgate Street was already being compared to London's Regent Street for the quality of its shopping, and Browns became known as the "Harrod's of the North".

In 1858, Brown's caused another sensation, when the architect TM Pension expanded the store. Pension was the pioneer of Chester's Victorian timber framed revival, but here he chose sandstone and an imposing Early English Gothic style to harmonise with the medieval undercroft, over which it was built. The contrast in styles between the early 19th century building and Pension's crypt building demonstrates how architectural taste had swung from the classical to the revival in just 30 years.

By the 1870s, Brown's was directly employing 150 women milliners and dressmakers in its own dressmaking workroom.

Rebuilding on the south side of Eastgate Street transformed the character of the Row, which became a broad promenade with raised ceiling to give a lighter and more salubrious air. Permanent display cases were erected in the wide Row stalls.

[edit] Sale to Debenham's

In [DATE NEEDED], Brown's was sold to the Debenham's chain of department stores.

[edit] Excavations

On 30 September 2002, a time capsule was buried at Brown's of Chester. Archaeological remains dating back to the 16th century had been found earlier that year during work to extend and modernise the store. The time capsule was buried to commemorate the excavations. The archaeological dig uncovered many artefacts, including a medieval elephant bone, armoured jacket, pottery and building materials. All records and artefacts found at the site were analysed and studied by archaeologists from the Chester Archaeology Service and then recorded in the Chester Archaeology Excavation monograph series. A selection of the items uncovered are now on display at Chester Museum.

The time capsule includes photos of the Brown's staff, a staff magazine, leaflets with examples of contemporary fashion, a site plan, pictures of the building works, contractors' newsletter, information about the dig, a CD of the BBC production "The Dig" and some artefacts from the dig.