The Joys of Advertisements Istorians and Others Who Study Suschitzky’S Bookshop Libris at 38 Boundary in 1968
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VOLUME 15 NO.3 MARCH 2015 journal The Association of Jewish Refugees The joys of advertisements istorians and others who study Suschitzky’s bookshop Libris at 38 Boundary in 1968. Its second branch, just off Finchley patterns of consumption have long Road, a mecca for scholars and connoisseurs Road facing the side of what is now Waitrose been aware of the importance of of German books. Well known in its time was John Barnes, opened in 1956 and survived Hadvertisements as rich sources of material; the Blue Danube Club at 153 Finchley Road, into the 21st century. Gideon Reuveni of the Centre for German- where Peter Herz directed Continental-style Refugee businesses in this part of London Jewish Studies at the University of Sussex, for reviews until he returned to his native Vienna catered to their clients’ needs across the example, has published fascinating work on in 1953; the Blue Danube Club was itself board of everyday life. In the sphere of office the Jews of Germany as consumers in the pre- an offshoot of another Kleinkunstbühne, the equipment, A. Breuer of 43 Buckland Crescent Hitler era. As I have myself learnt a great deal small-stage cabaret theatre Das Laterndl (The specialised in the repair and maintenance of about the community of Jewish refugees from Lantern), which had been set up at 69 Eton typewriters, while Ernst Rosenthal of 92 Eton Nazism in Britain from the ads in the back Avenue by the wartime Austrian Centre. Place, Eton College Road, offered ‘photocopies issues of AJR Information, I was intrigued by The distinctively Continental atmosphere in the middle of Hampstead’. The jewellers recent letters to the editor referring to shops of the Finchley Road area was in considerable J. Mount Ltd., of 17 Winchester Road, had owned or managed by refugees on post-war measure food-based. Alongside the refugee- formerly traded as Grubner & Neuman in Finchley Road, Hampstead. Brünn (Brno, Czech Republic). To the information provided Among those in the clothing by Frank Beck and Margarete trade was C. L. Ferber, of 17 Stern, I might for instance add Manor Mansions, Belsize Grove, that Norbert Cohn, the refugee specialising in hand-made lingerie optician at 20 Northways Parade, and blouses; however, the best- was not the only one in the area known of such shops, Madame at the time: the ophthalmic H. Lieberg, ‘the exclusive salon optician A. Otten was initially de corseterie’, was located some located just along Finchley Road, distance away, at 871 Finchley at 3 Regency Parade. Road, in Golders Green. Hampstead in north-west West End Lane, the London was the principal area of main thoroughfare in West settlement of the Jewish refugees Hampstead, played host to a in Britain and it contained large number of refugee shops the greatest concentration of and businesses. A guided tour institutions associated with the These ads appeared in the September 1966 issue of AJR Information some six decades ago might have refugees. These included the started at the Patisserie Weil, at Freud Museum at 20 Maresfield Gardens owned cafés and restaurants were shops that 221 West End Lane, where one could sample (previously Sigmund Freud’s last home); sold food products exotic by the standards of apple strudel, Zwetschenkuchen (plum cakes) Belsize Square Synagogue (previously the post-war Britain: Home Products Stores of or Mandelberg cheesecake. Stepping outside, New Liberal Jewish Congregation); the four 160 Finchley Road (on the corner of Frognal) one would immediately pass a carpenter’s offices occupied by the AJR until it decamped specialised in ‘Continental Delicatessen’, workshop, F. Friedland, at number 227, and a to Stanmore (at 279a Finchley Road, its while the butchers Rabenstein Ltd., of 5 firm of decorators, Brodecor Ltd., run by H. founding address in 1941, from 1943 at 8 Fairhazel Gardens, advertised as ‘Wholesalers W. Oppenheimer, at number 229a (on the Fairfax Mansions, then at 9 Adamson Road, and Retailers of first-class Continental corner of Sumatra Road). Almost opposite, and finally at 1 Hampstead Gate, Frognal); Sausages’. The best known establishment in at number 176, was Mirro Furs Ltd. The and Otto Schiff House at 14 Netherhall this field was that of Richard Mattes, scion manager was A. Spiegel, formerly of Berlin; Gardens, the first of the homes built in of a Rhineland sausage-making family, at German speakers will recognise the pun in London for elderly refugees and jointly 122a Finchley Road; founded in 1947, the name ‘Mirro’, for Spiegel means ‘mirror’ administered by the Central British Fund this expanded under Mattes and his son in German. Further down West End Lane, and the AJR. Werner into Mattessons, a major enterprise at number 108 near West Hampstead tube Commercial enterprises founded by that became a household name in Britain station, was Otto Froehlich, a watchmaker refugees also proliferated in this area, the through the TV ads for its meat products. and jeweller. best known being the Cosmo restaurant The longest-lived refugee business was Just off West End Lane to the east, at 16 and café on Northways Parade. Many of Ackerman’s, at 9 Goldhurst Terrace, which Fawley Road, was a reminder of more long- the others advertised in AJR Information, sold chocolates. Werner Ackermann, a term considerations, Leo Horovitz, a sculptor for example the Dorice, another restaurant would-be actor turned chocolatier, opened and stonemason who advertised ‘memorials popular among refugees, located opposite the his first shop in Kensington High Street; Cosmo at 169a Finchley Road, and Joseph Ackerman’s was awarded the Royal Warrant continued on page 2 journal MARCH 2015 The joys of advertisements continued Landmark Agreement for Jewish Child Survivors he Claims Conference has reached income or savings criteria and recipients for all cemeteries’; and to the west, at 30 a landmark agreement with the of the Article II Fund can also receive this Dennington Park Road, was the painter and TGerman Finance Ministry to provide lump-sum award. Similarly, there is no interior decorator M. G. Streat. (I am grateful compensation to Jewish child survivors restriction if a person receives the German to Professor Michael Streat for confirming of the Holocaust, defined as Nazi victims Government compensation known as that this was his uncle, the musician Max born on or after 1 January 1928. BEG. Streat, formerly Max Strietzel.) No tour The reparation covers those who Recipients of the Article II Fund should were in concentration camps, in ghettos, have automatically received the short of the area would be complete without a or were for at least 6 months in Nazi- application form. All other applicants mention of the Rosemount boarding house, occupied territory or 12 months in Axis will need to complete the longer form, at 17 Parsifal Road, off Fortune Green Road, countries, in hiding or living under a false which is available from the AJR or which advertised itself as ‘the boarding house identity. Those eligible will receive a one- via the Claims Conference’s website with culture’ and was run by Mrs Rose Peiser, time payment of €2,500 (approximately (www.claimscon.org). mother of the actress Lilli Palmer. £2,000). Only the longer application form Some idea of the sheer number of refugee Unlike the Claims Conference- requires notarisation, which can be done businesses all across Britain can be gained operated Article II Fund, there are no by the AJR. from the ads in two of the AJR’s publications: Britain’s New Citizens: The Story of the Refugees from Germany and Austria (1951) equivalent on the Team Valley industrial estate and Dispersion and Resettlement: The Story of in Gateshead, Loblite Ltd., manufacturers of Visit to Imperial War the Jews from Central Europe (1955), which lighting fittings and electrical accessories. Museum London contained 17 and 25 pages of ads respectively, One of the areas that benefited most Monday 27 April 2015 with up to ten ads per page (not all of them strikingly from refugee enterprise was the from refugee businesses). Firms in the remote region around the Solway Firth in textile trade clustering around the Oxford Cumbria. Among the firms that set up there Circus area in central London included were Marchon Products Ltd., manufacturers Schwarzschild Ochs Ltd., Hertie Ltd., of synthetic detergent raw materials, and the W. Herz Ltd., H. Wertheim Ltd., Strauss large chemical producer Solway Chemicals & Co., Dick & Goldschmidt Ltd. and S. Ltd., both founded by Vienna-born Frank Bischheim & B. E. Beecham Ltd. Simon (Franz) Schon, who was given a life peerage Bischheim was a member of the AJR’s in 1967 for his outstanding contribution to Explore the ground-breaking new executive and his son Richard Beecham was British industry, becoming Baron Schon of First World War Galleries and Whitehaven. Also located far from London a co-founder of Dunbee-Combex, a plastics the Holocaust Exhibition. manufacturer that went on to be one of was O. P. Chocolate Specialities Ltd. (see Britain’s most important toy manufacturers. letter from Mrs A. Rosney in the December Coach travel and lunch included, There was also a large number of refugee 2014 issue of the AJR Journal), which together with a welcoming address by businesses outside London. Some of them, produced Mozart Bon-bons, Pischinger Suzanne Bardgett, Head of Research like Lankro Chemicals Ltd. of Eccles, Torten and its ‘Original Viennese Dessert’ in at the Museum. Lancashire, founded by Dr F. H. Kroch, Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales. Blackburn in For further details, please contact or Metalastik Ltd. of Leicester, founded Lancashire was home to two firms specialising Susan Harrod on 020 8385 3070 or by Mac Goldsmith (Max Goldschmidt), in footwear: Newman’s Slippers Ltd.