What's In Store... Marshall and Snelgrove Paper Bag

This paper bag was from Marshall and Snelgrove, one of the city's busiest stores and a fixture of Gallowtree Gate until the building caught fire in 1970.

This bag came into the collection in 2019 as part of a donated group of objects relating to Leicester.

The original business that went on to become Marshall and Snelgrove was opened in 1837, on Vere Street, London.

In 1848, John Snelgrove, who had worked as an assistant in the business, became a partner and the firm's name was changed to Marshall and Snelgrove.

Marshall & Snelgrove had a reputation as high-end retailers for over 100 years. To enable their customers to shop whilst on holiday, branches were opened in fashionable resorts such as Scarborough and Harrogate. Additional branches were opened in Birmingham, Manchester, Southport, Leicester, Leeds, York, Sheffield and Bradford.

The Oxford Street premises, having been taken over by Debenhams in 1919, though still trading under the name of Marshall and Snelgrove, were completely rebuilt in 1974 when the name was changed to Debenhams.