You've got to have deep pockets at this store. This is the famous Harrods department store in Knightsbridge, London. The name is famous for many reasons.
The history of Harrods first starts in 1824, when it was opened as a general merchant’s shop for drapes, linens, wickers, and various goods. Since then, it’s become one of the most prestigious shops in London with millions of people visiting each year.
Harrods pioneered escalators. Making its debut in 1898, the first escalator was considered a turbulent experience, so the visitors were given brandy to calm their nerves. A hundred years later, in 1998, Harrods introduced the Egyptian escalator, which was regarded as a masterpiece in ergonomics, style, and in-store transportation.
Harrods used to have a pet department, which first opened in 1917. This department sold all kinds of animals – from domestic to exotic pets. Some of the world’s most exotic pets were sold there, such as lions, tigers, elephants, and panthers. The son of the king and queen of Albania bought an elephant in 1967 and presented it to Ronald Reagan as a gift. The department stopped selling exotic animals in 1976 and was fully closed in 2014.
One of the darkest blemishes on the history of Harrods was in the 70s and 80s when the IRA targeted the store for bombing attacks. These attacks occurred several times, and each time, there were civilian and police casualties. Several people were killed, and dozens of people were injured, but the IRA Army Council claim the bomb attacks on the store were not planned and authorized in any capacity.
In 1985, House of Frasier sold Harrods department store to Egyptian businessman Mohammed Al-Fayed. Al-Fayed introduced the Egyptian room in Harrods in which he displayed two busts of himself, as well as two memorials to his son Dodi and Princess Diana, who both died tragic deaths in a car accident. Mohammed Al-Fayed was the owner of Harrods until 2010 when he sold the store to Qatar Holdings for 1.5 billion pounds.
guidelinestobritain.com/shopping/history-of-harrods-depar...
For information on the controversial and notorious Mohammed Al-Fayed, here is the Wikipedia link:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Al-Fayed
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100x: The 2024 Edition
97/100 London landmarks by night
Image stitched from eight SOOC jpegs, shot in portrait orientation.
