We're continuing our series of blogs to mark Edinburgh 900. In this blog, History Curator Vicky Garrington explores one of Princes Street's iconic retailers.
Romanes & Paterson have one of the most distinctive shop fronts on Edinburgh’s Princes Street. This photo shows the company’s team of 18 dressmakers in around 1905. These skilled workers would have made up outfits in the tartans, silks and tweeds for which the company was famous.
Romanes & Paterson was established as a silk business in Edinburgh in 1816. They quickly added tartan to their specialisms and were issued with a Royal Warrant for Queen Victoria in 1842. The company moved to their current shop on Prince Street in 1884 after the 18th century building on site was remodelled in the fashionable French Empire style.
The woman on the far right of the photograph was Romanes & Paterson’s head dressmaker Olivia Osborne, who lived in Leith. The photograph was taken by the Parisian Photo Company, who were based only a few doors down from Romanes & Paterson on Princes Street. The number of dress makers pictured indicates the scale of Romanes and Paterson’s business at the time. Shoppers were able to select fabrics in store and consult with assistants about patterns that could be made up. The team of skilled seamstresses then brought these bespoke garments to life, including fitting sessions to make sure of the perfect fit for each client.
The dressmaking team are all pictured wearing elegant outfits and some pretty dazzling hats. An interest in the latest fashions would make sense for a seamstress working in a fashionable store, not only showcasing their own style but also acting as unofficial models of the latest trends to tempt potential clients.
In the 20th century, Romanes & Paterson broadened their range of products to include jewellery, accessories, food and drink. It was a recipe for success that continues today, with thousands of visitors a year buying souvenirs of their Edinburgh visit or enjoying afternoon tea in the second floor tea room.
You can find out more about Edinburgh's retail history at www.CapitalCollections.org.uk
Edinburgh 900
2024 marks the 900th anniversary of King David I introducing a new system of local government into Scotland, and making Edinburgh a royal burgh. To mark this anniversary, we're exploring the different ways the city museums' collections can tell Edinburgh's story. We'll be following the 10 themes of the programme, so keep an eye out for new blogs as we discover more. You can hear more about some of the items in these blogs in the Edinburgh 900 lecture series at the City Art Centre.
