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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Virtual Museum - Contributors and Credits

Two Woolworths buildings in the High Street at Hitchin, Herfordshire. The original branch on the left is now occupied by Boots the Chemist, while the more recent store on the right has been adapted since Woolworths closed.

 

The Virtual Museum has tried to acknowledge the original copyright owners of every exhibit. Most of the images are from private collections, with the majority of pictures painstakingly captured and collated by the site author, who bought much of the content from collectors around the world from his own pocket. Some items were contributed by site visitors or are of unknown origin.

The site is intended for historical research and is offered on a 'not for sale, not for profit' basis. Commercial use requires a licence.

If you believe you have a claim to the copyright on any of the material shown here, please contact us via this link Virtual Museum Mailbox.


An early storyboard of the interface design of the Original Virtual Museum, which was created by Paul Seaton © Copyright 3D and 6D Pictures Ltd 2001-2011The Virtual Museum was originally created as a hobby, unpaid, by a long-serving employee of the Woolworths store company. Work on an updated site was already in progress when the firm collapsed into Administration. It was completed in the thirty months after the last store closed its doors.

The Museum curator and visual designer is Paul Seaton, who has appeared on television and radio talking about Woolworths - both in history and current affairs programmes. Many former British store colleagues and American Associates contributed to the site, and Paul is particularly grateful to the family members of the original founders for their encouragement - including members of the Woolworths, Stephensons and Denemponts. To date the different incarnations of the website have served more than three million pages!

 

The 5Ws that Woolworths used as a logo in-store over 129 years

The author is very grateful to all of the contributors and would like to express his appreciation to each and every one for their assistance. One of the core values of Woolworths plc was Pride in the brand. Employees proved that wasn't simply handed down from the top of the organisation but something that colleagues believed in throughout the hundred years in the High Street.

A sincere thank you to the site's major contributors

United States of America

Mr. Scott Oakford - Photographs, documents and research
Mrs. Cynthia Patzer Egner - Photographs, maps and research
Mr. John Compton  - Documents, photographs, research, storylines and exhibits*
Mr. Richard Helena - Documents, photographs, research and exhibits*
 Mr. D. X. Ripley - Special exhibit from Woolco*
Mr. Fred Peterson - Diaries and documents
Ms Merle Sprinzen - Gramophone Records information
Mr Fred M Woolworth III

United Kingdom

Mr. Ray Gallanders and his late father Reg - a distinguished servant of the Company*
Mr. Dan Seymour - setting up the Virtual Museum on the web and deploying the content*
Ms. Nicole Lander - Support, encouragement and much practical help*
Mr. Andy Hayzelden - photographs, documents and storylines*
Mr. Bob Waldron - photographs and storylines*
Mr. Roger Stafford - photographs and research*
Mr. Parry Hughes-Morgan - documents*
Mr. Andy Latham - photographs*
Mr. Trevor Dahl - photographs and storylines*
Mrs. Jayne Britten - documents and photographs*
Mr. Bob Tomkys - photographs and research*
Mr. Neil Riches - photographs and documents*
The Corporate Affairs Team at Woolworths plc - for documents, exhibits and images*
Mr. Andrew Coverdale - images*
Mr. Andy Coveney - images and research*
Mr. Stephen Bruce - images and research*
Mr Daniel Himsworth*
Mr Doug Sargeant*
Local Studies Unit, London Borough of Croydon
Local Studies Unit, Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames
London Borough of Lewisham
Deptford Historical Society
Mrs Sybil Preece and Mr Norman Preece
Mr Symon Knightswood
Mr Ray Reardon
Mr Andrew Davies
Mr Graham Hill
Ms Jo Hall
Ms Catrina Hammond
Mr Tony Page
Mr John Wills*

Colleagues at the Woolworths stores in Croydon, Hull, Kingston, Kettering, Redhill, and Uxbridge*

Former Colleagues and Associates are denoted by an *asterisk

 

Shortcuts to other exhibits in the 'about this website' gallery

Woolworths history overview   The Woolworths timeline   Woolworths bibliography

Background to the website   How the site was built   Introducing the author   Legal information

Contributors and credits   Copyright information for commercial use   Copyright information for students and private use

Tell us how we did   Getting in touch with the author   Register for updates or just as a friend

 
Fully illustrated 194 page history of Woolworths, or a selection of professionally authored DVDs in our on-line shop