Gamages

(High Holborn, London, UK)

Gamages was a London department store formed by Albert Walter Gamage, beginning in 1878 and lasting until 1972. The business provided a large range of departments and products, particularly toys with a substantial operating model railway, Christmas visits being particularly well remembered by this writer.

Gamages, High Holborn, London, 1903

Whilst not a 'train set' as such, the items illustrated below are interesting, corresponding as they do with an invoice dated 20th November 1922. The order comprises a Marklin Midland Railway clockwork tender loco together with four Bing wagons, track and two buffer stops. The buffers are marked 'To Follow' which they surely did, as they appear in the images. A Christmas present for 1922? Lucky lad, but how did he couple the Bing wagons to the Marklin loco? The rails are all straight, so presumably this order was an addition to an existing set.

Marklin and Bing 0 gauge railway, as supplied by Gamages, November 1922

Marklin for Gamages 8 wheeled open wagon with side doors, marked NE

Marklin for Gamages 4 wheeled passenger coaches

Level crossing, marked Gamages

Tinplate clockwork track, 0 gauge, stamped Gamages

Wooden station, with Gamages label

British outline Home signal, with Gamages stamp below

Gamages Hornby Dublo display layout 1956

Gamages catalogues are a personal favourite from the 1950s/60s, partly because of the comprehensive coverage of items then available from train sets to accessories, by many manufacturers, and partly because of fond memories of Christmas trips to Gamages in Holborn, with my Father. Sometimes we would visit Hamleys in Regent Street, or the toy department at Selfridges in Oxford Street, but Gamages was always the highlight, particularly if the trip included a visit to Father Christmas.

Gamages catalogue, 1920

Gamages Christmas Bazaar, 1927

Gamages catalogue, 1953 or 54

Gamages overprinted Meccano Toys of Quality catalogue, 1954/55

Gamages catalogue, 1956

Gamages catalogue, 1957

Gamages catalogue, (probably) 1958

Gamages catalogue, 1959

Gamages catalogue, 1960

Gamages catalogue, 1961

Gamages catalogue, 1962

Gamages catalogue, 1963

Gamages catalogue, 1963, p104

Gamages catalogue, 1963/64

Gamages catalogue, Christmas 1964

Gamages catalogue, 1964/65

Gamages catalogue, 1965/66

Gamages also opened shops other than High Holborn, one example being the site of Benetfink at 107 Cheapside, who sold their business to Gamages in 1906. That area, like so much of the City of London, was badly damaged by bombing in 1940. Cheapside at that time comprised a host of small businesses, but after the war the whole site was razed and rebuilt as an office block which opened for business in 1958, and where this writer began his career in 1970.

Meccano catalogue 1938/39 clearly marked Gamages 107 Cheapside

107 Cheapside during rebuilding, 1955. Opposite (on the right) stands St Mary-le-Bow, also badly damaged suring the Blitz

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