Christmas 1921: the gifts we bought from Kirkcaldy High Street a century ago

Peace may have returned, but 1921 was still the toughest of years, with many parallels to today’s economic hardships.

Many were without jobs, and the impact of an influenza pandemic was taking its toll.

In its Christmas editorial, the Fife Free Press described it as “the season of chills and ills, and, alas, bills.”

But Christmas was still a time where many found cheer and the High Street - then the very heartland of all retail activity - took on a very special atmosphere as shop windows twinkled, an shelves were stocked with ideas for gifts.

The Press said Christmas was “a time for shopkeepers to display their powers of showmanship.”

It continued: “Window displays of Christmas gifts are common place in nearly every part of the world, and in this, as in most things, Kirkcaldy is no’ whit behind..”The paper said shopkeepers “possessed a great deal of enterprise and initiative many” with many displays being of “distinctively original character and well worthy of comment.”Sadly, photography rarely featured in the pages of the Press in 1921, and adverts consisted of text and drawings, so there is little record of hw grand those windows looked.

But the paper does throws spotlight on what people bought as gifts.

It started by looking at ideas for presents for “ladies, misses and girls” - a thorny task if there was one as “ladies tastes vary so widely that it is perhaps better to leave advice regarding presents for the fair sex out of the question.”

The old established firm of J & A Grieve,54-62 High Street - better known as the former home of Mathiesons’ shoe shop - had a large stock of new silk jumpers while among other admirable goods, there was a large variety of ladies’ handkerchiefs of varied qualities. Gift ideas also included dressing jackets, blouses in jap silk, japtung and georgette.

D.S Beveridge 271 High Street - now Lifetime Photography - sold artificial silk scarves, and their stock of gloves was “one of the best in town.”

In 1921, a special feature of ladies handkerchiefs was made by Miss Coutts, 237 High Street stocked a fine line in tissue, crepe de chene, and linen, while Miss Coutts, D.B. Storrar, 204-208 High Street - which was then home to the Odeon/ABC Cinema - had on view a particularly fine selection of of millinery and girls’ dresses. In the latter section there is a special lot of velveteen dresses which are having a big sale as Christmas presents.

Pearson’s at 17 Kirk Wynd, stocked a collection of ladies handbags, while D.K. Williams, 22 High Street, which is now where the Mercat Shopping Centre sits, sold plain and fancy linens. Allan’s Drapery Stores, 55 High Street, Miss Saunders, 175 Commercial Street and Miss Grant, 124 High Street, were just three of the shops to be fully stocked for the festive season.

These days 132 High street is home to Holland & Barrett, but a century ago it was A.K. Melville, which boasted fine displays in its large windows and, inside, eight glass counters on the ground floors filled with menswear including silk ties, mufflers, gloves and scarves.

Fancy socks, braces and men’s fancy wool knit vests were among other articles suggested as ideal gifts, while James Bogie, 232-234 High Street had a special display of trouser pressers with stretchers - “admirable for men” said the Press.

Other items for sale included dainty underwear sold under the name of ‘Sweet Lavender’ and ‘Chilprufe’ for ladies, misses and girls, and wool jackets for men made from Dr Jaegers’ pure wool. Moderately prived fur lined and fur back gloves were also very popular.

When it came to toys. Stewart’s Emporium at 15-23 High Street hosted a magnificent toy fair which they justly described as the home of Santa Claus.

Mechanical toys and miniature, lifelike animal studies were big sellers, while W.L.Ireland and Brown’s Bazaar, 51 High Street, specialised in “that magnificent hobby” of Meccano

Jewellery was sold at C.G. Whyte, 20 High Street, and John Ross 107 High Street had “a large selection of goods suitable for all classes” - including handkerchief cases.

Giving the gift of food - cakes and shortbread - was hugely popular a century ago.

Liptons, 81 High Street were purveyors for the festive season, stocking everything from raisins, muscatels, currents, and dried fruits, and Thomas Dryburgh, 102 High Street returned to its magnificent pre-war selection of plum pudding fruits as well as a copious supply of wines and spirits.

Furniture was also deemed a popular gift - one which “certainly has the capacity for giving lasting pleasure” - and M. Spears & Co, 93 High Street, was the place to go for cosy settees and commodions armchairs.

Books and slippers were popular too – some things never change - and the Dundee Equitable at 243 High Street even made a “special display” of their exceedingly fine supply.

A century on, not one of the shopkeepers remains on a High Street none would recognise today, but the images conjured up by their stock and those wonderful window displays spark evocative memories of how previous generations shopped for Christmas.

The Press reflected on 1921 thus: “Peace on earth; goodwill towards men. That is a triumphant note upon which to haste the out year old and await the new.

“If it were but translated with earnestness and energy into all implies, the troubles of a sorrow-stricken world would indeed be over.”