A demolished city centre building was once home to a now lost high street chain. Kendall & Sons, the umbrella and rainwear manufacturer, were a big part of many UK high streets. Its story dates back to 1870 when entrepreneur William Wheeler Kendall set up as an umbrella retailer in a barber’s shop in Leicester.
By 1885, he had moved to a new premises and owned three shops in the town, as well as others further afield. At the time of his death in 1910, there were 37 shops and a new factory being acquired, In later years, the brand, known as Kendalls, could be found across in the likes of Liverpool city centre, Southport and Birkenhead. It also expanded to offer rainwear, knitwear and other styles of clothes to customers.
Certain generations from Liverpool the big Kendalls shop on Parker Street, on the corner of Great Charlotte Street and Elliott Street. One images, courtesy of our archives, Mirrorpix, has been unseen for years and offers a glimpse into the shops' past. In the image, you can see the building in September 1967, on the Great Charlotte Street side with shoppers outside.
It shows the Kendall logo and slogan "keeps you dry" above the window displays. You can also see the large Kendall Corner sign above the building and its logo, consisting of a letter K attached to an umbrella. Eventually, these buildings would be demolished for redevelopment of the area which included the Ravenseft project and the new St John's Precinct.
An advert, published in the Liverpool ECHO.
