Collection GB 0074 CLC/B/091 - G STREET AND COMPANY LIMITED

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 CLC/B/091

Title

G STREET AND COMPANY LIMITED

Date(s)

  • 1825-1854 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

73 production units comprising 17 volumes and 56 files/bundles/envelopes.

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The date of the foundation of the company is uncertain. Unpublished company histories (Ms 33950) refer to George Street being in business as a bookseller, newsagent and stationer at 5 Serle Street in 1818. However, he does not appear in the London trade and street directories until 1833 when he is listed as G[eorge] H[oratio] Street, stationers, 15 Carey Street. It has been suggested that the foundation date may have come about because of a confusion between George Street and Charles Barker, founder of Charles Barker and Sons.

In 1842 George Horatio Street is listed as a newsagent at 11 Serle Street and from 1854 the name of the firm changes to Street Brothers with the first mention of advertising appearing in 1861, when George Street is also first mentioned at 30 Cornhill.

The firm is listed as Street Brothers of 5 Serle Street from 1868-99. In 1900 the firm became a limited company, G Street and Company Limited with offices at 5 Serle Street (8 Serle Street from 1906) and 30 Cornhill. (There were two unrelated limited companies in existence called Street Brothers Limited). The company has always been known, colloquially, as Streets.

The city office moved in 1924 to 6 Gracechurch Street and in 1944 the whole firm moved to 110 Broad Street. A new west end office was established in 1958 at 11 Berkeley Street.

The company was principally known for commercial and financial advertising and for newspaper subscriptions. Its clientele included banks, issuing houses, insurance companies, industrial and manufacturing concerns, publishers and retailers, although it also had some business with small firms and individuals.

Streets itself was taken over in 1970 by Conduit Holdings Limited and went into receivership in 1992.

Archival history

GB 0074 CLC/B/091 1825-1854 Collection 73 production units comprising 17 volumes and 56 files/bundles/envelopes. G Street and Co Ltd , bookseller, newsagent and stationer

The date of the foundation of the company is uncertain. Unpublished company histories (Ms 33950) refer to George Street being in business as a bookseller, newsagent and stationer at 5 Serle Street in 1818. However, he does not appear in the London trade and street directories until 1833 when he is listed as G[eorge] H[oratio] Street, stationers, 15 Carey Street. It has been suggested that the foundation date may have come about because of a confusion between George Street and Charles Barker, founder of Charles Barker and Sons.

In 1842 George Horatio Street is listed as a newsagent at 11 Serle Street and from 1854 the name of the firm changes to Street Brothers with the first mention of advertising appearing in 1861, when George Street is also first mentioned at 30 Cornhill.

The firm is listed as Street Brothers of 5 Serle Street from 1868-99. In 1900 the firm became a limited company, G Street and Company Limited with offices at 5 Serle Street (8 Serle Street from 1906) and 30 Cornhill. (There were two unrelated limited companies in existence called Street Brothers Limited). The company has always been known, colloquially, as Streets.

The city office moved in 1924 to 6 Gracechurch Street and in 1944 the whole firm moved to 110 Broad Street. A new west end office was established in 1958 at 11 Berkeley Street.

The company was principally known for commercial and financial advertising and for newspaper subscriptions. Its clientele included banks, issuing houses, insurance companies, industrial and manufacturing concerns, publishers and retailers, although it also had some business with small firms and individuals.

Streets itself was taken over in 1970 by Conduit Holdings Limited and went into receivership in 1992.

The records of the firm were given to Guildhall Library in 2001 by a director of the company who had been given them as part of the final financial settlement. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.

Records of G Street and Company Limited, bookseller, newsagent and stationer. The earliest records of the firm date from 1865. There are some earlier share certificates, 1825-54, but these appear to have belonged to John Leathwait, presumably a predecessor of Leathwait and Simmons, an advertising agency and newspaper supply firm, which Streets took over in 1918.

There are also a few records of subsidiary companies : EC Advertising Company Limited/G. Street and Co. (Provinces) Limited (Ms 33953); Streets Public Relations Limited (Ms 33954); Lionel Jackson and Partners (Ms 33955) and W Hopwood and Company (Ms 33956).

CLC/B/091-01: G Street and Company Ltd; CLC/B/091-02: G Street and Company (Provinces); CLC/B/091-03: Streets Public Relations Ltd; CLC/B/091-04: W Hopwood and Co.

Available for general access.

Copyright to this collection rests with the City of London.

English

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

November 2010 to January 2011. Communication personnel Booksellers Advertising Communication process Press advertising Personnel Mercantile personnel Stationers Information sources Documents Business records People People by occupation Business people Newsagents G Street and Co Ltd , bookseller , newsagent and stationer City of London London England UK Western Europe Europe

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The records of the firm were given to Guildhall Library in 2001 by a director of the company who had been given them as part of the final financial settlement. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of G Street and Company Limited, bookseller, newsagent and stationer. The earliest records of the firm date from 1865. There are some earlier share certificates, 1825-54, but these appear to have belonged to John Leathwait, presumably a predecessor of Leathwait and Simmons, an advertising agency and newspaper supply firm, which Streets took over in 1918.

There are also a few records of subsidiary companies : EC Advertising Company Limited/G. Street and Co. (Provinces) Limited (Ms 33953); Streets Public Relations Limited (Ms 33954); Lionel Jackson and Partners (Ms 33955) and W Hopwood and Company (Ms 33956).

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

CLC/B/091-01: G Street and Company Ltd; CLC/B/091-02: G Street and Company (Provinces); CLC/B/091-03: Streets Public Relations Ltd; CLC/B/091-04: W Hopwood and Co.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright to this collection rests with the City of London.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area