Details

Name

David Kemp & Son

Brief Biography

1832 - 1930, British / Scottish

Occupation

shawl merchant, shawl and tartan emporium, department store

Description

David Kemp & Son was a department store on Buchanan Street, Glasgow. The company was initially founded by David Kemp in 1832 as an Edinburgh shawl warehouse with premises at 88 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, and started listing in the Post Office Directory for Glasgow the following year. Kemp briefly went into partnership between 1836 and 1837 to form Kemp, Pringle & Lawson, an 'emporium for Foreign and British shawls' at 47 Buchanan Street. During the 1840s David Kemp started selling tartans alongside Indian, French and British shawls, with advertisements often noting that he had returned from Paris or London with new selections of shawls and other 'novelties'. In 1851 David Kemp was invited to be one of the jurors for Mixed Fabrics, including Shawls, but exclusive of Worsted Goods at the Great Exhibition, London. As the company's success grew larger premises were required and David Kemp operated his 'shawl and tartan emporium' from various premises on Buchanan Street until acquiring 37 Buchanan Street in 1854, although it briefly moved out in 1858 to no. 53, returning to no. 37 after its refurbishment in 1859.

In the early 1860s David Kemp's oldest son, James Campbell, joined the business and the firm was renamed David Kemp & Son in 1865. During the early 1870s the company started manufacturing its own label garments, and from 1875 was listed as 'silk mercers, shawl, mantle, costume, and Scotch plaid manufacturers'. By 1881 they had a furrier department, and by 1887 there was lingerie run by Miss Campbell, and millinery run by Miss Watt. Meanwhile W R Grieve, who would later leave to start his own business, had been appointed by 1883 to assist J C Kemp. In 1888 the 'Index of Firms' in Glasgow of To-Day: The Metropolis of the North proudly stated that 'one of the most prominent and attractive of the notable commercial establishments of Buchanan Street is that controlled by Messrs. David Kemp & Son.' They described the store as 'a most extensive and stately block of five large and commodious floors, with a fine street frontage, great depth, and splendid accommodative capacity. The interior is a perfect study in the several details of convenience, commodiousness, and beauty of appointment. Each department is separate and distinct from its neighbours'. It continued that 'at the rear of the principal floors of showrooms is an extensive factory of splendid equipment and capacity. Here the various and important productive operations of the firm are carried on, notably the making of mantles, costumes, dresses, millinery, &c., for which the house is famous. […] The firm make an exhaustive study of ladies’ dress in its every phase and feature, and they justly pride themselves upon the minuteness with which they exemplify every detail and particular of the costumier’s art. They display the very latest and most select novelties of Paris and London. A special lady artist is retained to sketch for the benefit of customers every novelty that makes its advent in the world’s great centres of fashion; and no trouble or expense is spared by the house to afford its patrons every facility possible. The fitting-rooms, situate on the upper first floors of the establishment, are simply models of comfort, convenience, and elegant appointment.'

In 1903 David Kemp & Son Ltd was formed and the business continued to thrive during the early twentieth-century until their neighbour, McDonalds', managed to acquire their premises on the corner of Buchanan Street and Argyll Street in 1925, which they refurbished and expanded over the next two years. David Kemp & Son were unable to compete and the decision to go into voluntary liquidation was made on 27 December 1928. Their stock was sold off and their premises were acquired by their other neighbour, Wylie and Lochhead, with the final accounts and report made in February 1930.