[paulettefromhawaii]

Thought some of you might like to take this in.....




Lewis's Fifth Floor: A Department Story


Lewis's fifth floor, with its hair salon, cafeteria and restaurants, was the epitome of style in the 1950s. Three decades later the entire floor closed to the public and it has been used for storage since then. Local photographer Stephen King has beautifully captured the faded glamour of this lost world, including many of the original features.

Now largely empty, the floor was once a bustling hive of activity. In addition to stunning views of the interiors, the exhibition includes a series of portraits of current and ex-employees in their original place of work, with reminiscences of life at Lewis's during that era. Their presence injects life into the spectral setting of the now deserted floor.

Also included in the exhibition is an artist documentary filmed and produced by Jacqueline Passmore. The film examines the impact of Lewis's heyday through interviews with staff from the fifth floor.


Venue
National Conservation Centre, Liverpool


Dates

Exhibition Dates 26 Feb 2010 - 30 Aug 2010
DayOpening TimesMonday10:00 - 17:00Tuesday10:00 - 17:00Wednesday10:00 - 17:00Thursday10:00 - 17:00Friday10:00 - 17:00Saturday10:00 - 17:00Sunday10:00 - 17:00Bank Holiday10:00 - 17:00

[Kay]

Thanks Paulette! I have made a note of the dates etc. I am definitely going to go while I am home. When I was young I did see that floor, I'm thinking the Ladies' toilets were up there, anyway I remember them wherever they were at that time, everything was shining and spotless!

[exGerardF]

From my collection of Lewis's on the 5th photographs..
I was never out of here as a kid...

(Full set on my website below on the "Lewis's on the 5th" album.)


The corridoor left pic Kay is where the toilets were and the lift..







In front of where I'm standing would have been the long serving counter.







Inside The Glemby Salon that was at the end of the 5th..

[kellog]

When l was in Liverpool two weeks ago
l went to Lewis's to access the 5th Floor
There was NO WAY anyone can get access to the 5th Floor of Lewis's
The fill in staff at Lewis's will direct you over to Whitechapel and Crosshall street
l used to know this building as the 'ice storage building'
That is where you will see a smattering of photoes and items from Lewis's 5th floor
To be honest Gerard Flemings pictures are as good as any there
Dont build your hopes up

[exGerardF]

kellog, on 05 April 2010 - 10:45 PM, said:

When l was in Liverpool two weeks ago
l went to Lewis's to access the 5th Floor
There was NO WAY anyone can get access to the 5th Floor of Lewis's
The fill in staff at Lewis's will direct you over to Whitechapel and Crosshall street
l used to know this building as the 'ice storage building'
That is where you will see a smattering of photoes and items from Lewis's 5th floor
To be honest Gerard Flemings pictures are as good as any there
Dont build your hopes up

Cheers kellog...thats much appreciated.

[paulettefromhawaii]

That is good GerardF. that we have someone like yourself there to preserve Liverpool for all of us not there.. to see... ta!

Nice to know any updates, so people, like Kay, won't be shaking her head about it.. like poor Norm (Kellog), had to find out..Someone should call that National Conservation Center that posted the dates and tell them it is NOT SO... Anyway, the dates are posted above.. Good luck to all interested.. Too bad it had to close down... Seemed quite nice...

[windydan]

I have only just learnt that the Lewis's store was the first in the world to have Christmas Grottoes. Another first for Lverpool.

Keep up your good work Gerard

windydan

[Kay]

Love the pics Gerard, thanks. So glad you had the forethought to preserve (in photos) so many places for the rest of us to enjoy! Am I understanding correctly that it is not Lewis's 5th floor that is open but just the viewing of pics at the Conservation Centre?

[prof]

When I first qualified as a telecoms technician one of my first solo jobs was in the Lewis store. it was christmas and every christmas they had us running cable from the PABX on the 3rd floor to all the retail stations. No cleats, all cabling on exposed surfaces had to be glued. So there I was up a ladder over the lift accesses spreading evostick on wall and cable every yard, letting it dry , sticking it up and holding it till it adhered then moving a yard and repeating it. The cable was a 120 wire and very hard to handle. It would take all day, then had to be terminated at both ends and the final cables though only 4 wire had also to be glued. After christmas all the extra phones and all the cable had to be removed until the next Christmas. Will never forget that one.Customers were going in and out of the lifts all day.

[Kay]

prof, on 06 April 2010 - 09:52 AM, said:

When I first qualified as a telecoms technician one of my first solo jobs was in the Lewis store. it was christmas and every christmas they had us running cable from the PABX on the 3rd floor to all the retail stations. No cleats, all cabling on exposed surfaces had to be glued. So there I was up a ladder over the lift accesses spreading evostick on wall and cable every yard, letting it dry , sticking it up and holding it till it adhered then moving a yard and repeating it. The cable was a 120 wire and very hard to handle. It would take all day, then had to be terminated at both ends and the final cables though only 4 wire had also to be glued. After christmas all the extra phones and all the cable had to be removed until the next Christmas. Will never forget that one.Customers were going in and out of the lifts all day.

Well, that was some job I must say! Why did they want the link-up?

[saltashscouse]

I remember going to Lewis's 5th floor on many occasions when I was little as my Nan always took me and my sister to the cafe up there for our birthday treats. We were treated to a Knickerbocker Glory which back in the 60s used to cost 5 shillings, what a treat it was too. Any other time we visited Lewis's with my Nan we made do with the basement cafe and had to make do with an Egg Custard which wasn't quite the same.

[exGerardF]

Thanks everybody..glad you all like the pics..

Danny, Lewis's Grotto was the oldest in the world having started in 1879..thats what it says on my commemorative Lewis's mug anyway..

[prof]

Kay, on 06 April 2010 - 08:52 PM, said:

Well, that was some job I must say! Why did they want the link-up?

Purely for the christmas rush Kay. They wanred extra phones in all departments of the store and wanted them quickly. They did not like cable clips in the plasterwork so they were glued and after the rush they did not want cables visible,so they were all removed.

[exGerardF]

wang, on 22 May 2010 - 03:31 AM, said:

I am definitely going to go while I am home. When I was young I did see that floor, I'm thinking the Ladies' toilets were up there, anyway I remember them wherever they were at that time, everything was shining and spotless!


Thank you for your information


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Lewis's closed today Sat 29th May 2010..

I've had special permission over the last week to wander around Lewis's taking pics around the shop floors of the staff and customers..
I've been back up the 5th floor cafe area and the ladies Glemby Salon...loads of better pics than the previous ones I took up there..

These exclusive Lewis's pics will be on my website very soon... on the "New Additions" album..


Inc pics inside That toilet... still spotless after all these years...