I wrote this steamy romance novella about a woman who buys a lamp from Harrods in the 1920s that turns out to be inhabited by a genie. As you do. In order to ensure high quality research for chapter one, I took my camera to Harrods and started snapping away.
It’s always interested me that some people view a department store in the same way many might view a theme park: as a legitimate day out unto itself with various experiences to enjoy. With its Egyptian revival interiors and endless floors filled with luxury items, Harrods is very much designed for that purpose if that’s your thing.
The Knightsbridge store was opened in 1849 though Charles Henry Harrod was operating in retail (and specializing in tea) some years prior. The shop initially started out as a one-room enterprise and expanded during the late 19th Century.
There was a certain amount of ‘Egyptomania’ in Britain during the 1920s, 1930s and the 1990s so it’s not entirely surprising to see so many Egyptian-inspired features in-store (including an Egyptian staircase – which is a post for another time). Especially when the store was owned by a business man of Egyptian heritage Mohammad Al-Fayed for a number of years. Definitely puts a rather unique slant on the shopping experience… not that I can afford anything from Harrods!
More information on the history of Harrods is available here.