Welcome to the Original Virtual Museum - celebrating Woolworths' century at the heart of British High Street Shopping
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please click a menu button Original Virtual Museum Home Page please click a menu button The Woolworth value store concept is born in the USA please click a menu button Laying the foundations as the first British Woolworth store opens in Liverpool in November 1909 please click a menu button Woolworths rapidly open forty-four stores in Britain and Ireland before facing a World War please click a menu button Bigger, brighter and bolder Woolworth stores in the Roaring Twenties please click a menu button Woolworths go to amazing lengths to keep all prices under sixpence in the Thirties please click a menu button Bravery and defiance during World War II in Woolworths' finest hour. We pay tribute to the sacrifices made and look behind the scenes please click a menu button Redefining the Woolworth brand for modern times in the 1950s, as prices go up and stores get bigger and bigger please click a menu button Superstores in and out of town, a new own brand and the opening of overseas Commonwealth stores during the 1960s please click a menu button Woolworth struggles to keep up during the rapid inflation and change of the 1970s please click a menu button Woolworth stores in more recent times, covering the period 1980-2008 please click a menu button
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Background to the Original Virtual Museum and copyright information about the contents Origins of the firm's legendary pic'n'mix and a century of chocolate, candy and confectionery in the High Street A century of music and entertainment in the High Street from sheet music and gramophone records to CDs and blu-ray discs A century of toys, games and fun in the High Street stores of F. W. Woolworth A century of fashion in the High Street, from paper patterns and sixpenny knickers to an extensive range of award-winning Ladybird clothing A century of cards, pens, pads and books from the shelves of F. W. Woolworth stores Pots and pans, paint and brushes, bulbs and compost and even toiletries - all in High Street Woolworth stores for much of the twentieth century Woolworths pioneered Christmas decorations in the 19th century and supplied presents for our parents, grandparents and great grandparents from their High Street stores Working conditions and pay rates at Woolworths over a hundred years and some of the people behind the brand-name Our cinema, quiz and picture gallery features Visit the new look 21st century Woolworths on line, on the site operated by Shop Direct Group
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Mimosa Records from Woolworths 1921-1926
   
British MD Fred Moore Woolworth and William Stephenson, Company Director
On his return to England after seeing Little Wonder Records on sale in the American Woolworth Stores, Director William Stephenson tried to persuade his boss Fred Woolworth that gramophone records would be a good idea for the British Company. Fred was singularly unconvinced, he pointed out that fewer Britons owned gramophones and that the discs would be high risk because of the element of fashion and style, as well as difficult to bring in at sixpence when the cheapest 78s on the market were running at 1/3D (one shilling and threepence or about 6½p, two and a half times the maximum price charged in a Woolworths). The most that Fred would agree to was a try-out in the larger stores.
         

Stephenson approached the Crystalate Recording Company of Tonbridge, Kent to produce a 5½ inch record for Woolworths which would retail at sixpence (2½p). They tried two options to achieve the price:

  • a single-sided record (similar to Little Wonder), called the 'M' series, which had only limited success
  • a double-sided record with a fully copyright-paid title on the reverse and no recording credit for the artist. This 'P' series proved to be a big hit with very large quantities sold between 1921 and 1926.

Because of MD Fred Woolworth's objections, despite the good sales the records continued to be treated as a try-out until his untimely death in 1923, when they were finally offered in all British Woolworth stores.

Mimosa 5½ and later 6 inch gramophone records were sold in British Woolworth stores from 1921 until 1926
         

Crystalate was a good choice of partner. They had already established a successful business recording and pressing 78's on two labels of their own - 10" Imperial Records (selling for 2/- or 10p) and 5½" Kiddiphone Records for 9D (3½p). Unlike other manufacturers of the time they didn't repackage their existing content on the Mimosa label, they re-recorded which resulted in a much better sound quality.

You can sample some of the music offered on the Mimosa label by clicking one of the links below.
--- 5½" 1921-23 ---
--- 6" 1923-26 ---
         
         
Quick Links to related galleries in the Virtual Museum
If you have enjoyed our Virtual Museum website, why not check out our complete history of Woolworths in a 194 page, richly illustrated paperback book? A Sixpenny Romance is just £10.99, with free delivery in our on-line shop.
The special DVD, the Wonder of Advertising, is now available in our on-line shop for £7.50 with free delivery. A fully illustrated 194 page history of Woolworths, or a selection of professionally authored DVDs in our on-line shop