Hedley Swan - Joplings

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Joplings Store

The former Joplings department store on John Street was, for decades, a Sunderland institution. The firm of Joplings was founded in 1804 and operated as a draper’s shop in High Street East. In 1882 the firm was bought by Stephen Swan and Robert Hedley, trading as Hedley, Swan & Co. but still known as Joplings. The company moved to premises on High Street West in 1919 and remained there until fire destroyed the store in 1954. The business moved into temporary premises until the present building opened in 1956. In 1952, the ever expanding store had become a limited company.

Joplings’ new store was designed by Stanley Wayman Milbum (1888-1961), the son of William Milburn. It was constructed of brick and reinforced concrete using the principles of modernism, a radical European movement that transformed architecture in the twentieth century. Based on a rejection of past styles and a commitment to industrial materials, modernism was initially deemed too severe for conventional British tastes, but gained acceptance after the Second World War as an answer to post-war reconstruction.

The elevations of the Joplings store have a strong horizontal emphasis due to the use of strip windows and a sweeping concrete sill that was built to provide shelter for window shoppers. Display windows stocked with alluring goods were one of the sales tactics developed by sophisticated retailers. The upper storey is a glazed clerestory, with exposed structural supports in the form of modernistic flying buttresses. The long facades converge at the corner, where an abstract white plane rose up to display the name of the store and a clock face.

Throughout the decades, Joplings gave Sunderland consumers access to ready-to-wear clothing and homeware, allowing local people to engage with the latest fashion trends and to furnish modern homes. Sadly, the store closed in 2010, but there are plans to convert it into a hotel.

  • Joplings money.

The store also had their own money. Joplings money was, in fact, tokens that people could get and pay for over a number of weeks. Moreover, people could buy a £1 token for sixteen shillings. If they were really hard up, they could sell the token for real money, at a discounted price of course.

Furthermore, it was around 1930 that people began to refer to the store as Joplings. This was when Hedley, Swan & Co decided to stop putting their names on any adverts for the store. The move to bigger premises also allowed the firm to expand their trade. Indeed, on the top floor they opened a restaurant too. For the most part, the waitresses would wear green uniforms with pink pinafores over the top.


Hedley Swan & Co. - Joplings
HSJ001.jpg
Material Bronze
Filename HSJ001
Description Hedley Swan & Co - Joplings ½
Rev. same
Size (mm) 26
Notes Watchit.jpgHSJ001 Varieties
Source © malj1 Collection
HSJ002.jpg
Material Bronze
Filename HSJ002
Description Hedley Swan & Co - Joplings 1d
Rev. same except flat top 1
Size (mm) 31.5
Notes Watchit.jpgHSJ002 Varieties
Source © malj1 Collection
HSJ002a.jpg
Material Bronze
Filename HSJ002a
Description Hedley Swan & Co - Joplings 1d C/hole
Rev. flat top 1 both sides
Size (mm) 31.5
Notes
Source
HSJ002x.jpg
Material Bronze
Filename HSJ002x
Description Hedley Swan & Co Ltd - Joplings 1d
Rev. similar
Size (mm) 32.5
Notes
Source © malj1 Collection
HSJ003.jpg
Material cu-ni
Filename HSJ003
Description Hedley Swan & Co Ltd - Joplings 6d
Rev. same
Size (mm) 20
Notes Watchit.jpgHSJ003 Varieties
Source © malj1 Collection
HSJ004.jpg
Material cu-ni
Filename HSJ004
Description Hedley Swan & Co Ltd - Joplings 1/-
Rev. same
Size (mm) 25
Notes Watchit.jpgHSJ004 Varieties
Source © malj1 Collection
HSJ006.jpg
Material Brass
Filename HSJ006
Description Hedley Swan & Co - Joplings 2/-
Rev. same
Size (mm) nk
Notes
Source
HSJ008.jpg
Material Cu-ni
Filename HSJ008
Description Hedley Swan & Co - Joplings 2/6
Rev. same
Size (mm) 32.5
Notes
Source © bhx7
HSJ005.jpg
Material Brass
Filename HSJ005
Description Hedley Swan & Co Ltd - Joplings 20/-
Rev. same
Size (mm) 26
Notes
Source © malj1 Collection
Joplings Ltd
JOP001.jpg
Material Bronze
Filename JOP001
Description Joplings ½d Ltd
Rev. Joplings Ltd in script ½d below
Size (mm) 25
Notes
Source © malj1 Collection
JOP002.jpg
Material red fibre
Filename JOP002
Description Joplings 1d Ltd
Rev. Joplings Ltd in script 1d below (penny)
Size (mm) 31.8
Notes
Source © malj1 Collection
JOP003.jpg
Material Bronze
Filename JOP003
Description Joplings 6d Ltd c/hole
Rev. Joplings Ltd in script 6d below (sixpence)
Size (mm) 19.5
Notes
Source © malj1 Collection
JOP008.jpg
Material Cu-ni
Filename JOP008
Description Joplings 6d Ltd c/hole
Rev. Joplings Ltd in script 6d below (sixpence)
Size (mm) 19.5
Notes
Source © agoodall coll
JOP009.jpg
Material Cu-ni
Filename JOP009
Description Joplings 6d Ltd
Rev. Joplings Ltd in script 6d below (sixpence)
Size (mm) 19.5
Notes with error
Source © bhx7 collection
JOP004.jpg
Material cu-ni
Filename JOP004
Description Joplings 1/- Ltd
Rev. Joplings Ltd in script 1/- below (one shilling)
Size (mm) 24
Notes
Source © malj1 Collection
JOP005.jpg
Material cu-ni
Filename JOP005
Description Joplings 2/- Ltd
Rev. Joplings Ltd in script 2/- below (two shillings)
Size (mm) 29.5
Notes
Source © malj1 Collection
JOP006.jpg
Material Brass
Filename JOP006
Description Joplings 20/- Ltd
Rev. Joplings Ltd in script 20/- below (20 shillings)
Size (mm) 22.7
Notes
Source © malj1 Collection
Joplings Ltd Sunderland ~ Decimal Issue
JOD001.jpg
Material red fibre
Filename JOD001
Description Joplings ½p Ltd Sunderland
Rev. same
Size (mm) 25.7
Notes
Source © agoodall Collection
JOD002.jpg
Material red fibre
Filename JOD002
Description Joplings 1p Ltd Sunderland
Rev. same
Size (mm) nk
Notes
Source © malj1 Collection
File:JOD004.jpg
Material red fibre
Filename JOD004
Description Joplings 2p Ltd Sunderland
Rev. same
Size (mm) nk
Notes
Source
File:JOD005.jpg
Material nk
Filename JOD005
Description Joplings 5p Ltd Sunderland
Rev. same
Size (mm) nk
Notes
Source
JOD006.jpg
Material Aluminium
Filename JOD006
Description Joplings 10p Ltd Sunderland
Rev. same
Size (mm) 32
Notes
Source © agoodall
JOD003.jpg
Material Bronze
Filename JOD003
Description Joplings 50p Ltd Sunderland
Rev. same
Size (mm) 33.9
Notes
Source © bhx7 Collection
JOP007.jpg
Material Brass
Filename JOP007
Description Joplings £5 Ltd Sunderland (five pounds)
Rev. same
Size (mm) 29.3 square
Notes
Source © malj1 Collection