Sunday 24 August 2014

Buying for Soldiers and Sailors

A selection of ads from the Glasgow Herald, 24th August 1914.







MCDONALDS LIMITED,
SUCCESSORS TO 
STEWART &  McDONALD LTD. (Retail).

BUSINESS ARRANGEMENTS.
OUR  AUTUMN    SALE CONTINUES,  AND
AFFORDS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY
FOR  LADIES  TO  ECONOMISE   BY  PUR-
CHASING    GOODS     OF     THE     FINEST 
QUALITY AT VERY LOW PRICES.               

WE   HURRIED   FORWARD  DELIVERY OF
ALL    GOODS     PURCHASED    FOR    THE
AUTUMN    SEASON,   AND   SO   ESCAPED
ADVANCED PRICES;  IN  FACT,  WE  WERE
NEVER    SO     WELL    PREPARED    WITH
BEAUTIFUL   GOODS   IN    ALL    DEPART-
MENTS.                                                             

WE     HAVE     ARRANGED     FOR     THE 
PRESENT  TO  RETAIN THE  SERVICES OF
THE WHOLE OF OUR PERMANENT STAFF;
MEANWHILE  OUR  BUYERS  AND ASSIST-
ANTS  HAVE FORMED THEMSELVES INTO
A  LARGE  WORK  PARTY,  AND  IN THEIR
LEISURE   TIME    WILL    WORK    IN    THE
INTERESTS OF DISTRESSED CHILDREN.      

MCDONALDS LIMITED, 
21 BUCHANAN STREET.
GLASGOW.




FOR TERRITORIALS.

PORTABLE  CAMP REQUISITES AND
COMFORTS.

SHAW, WALKER & CO.,
14-22 UNION STREET, GLASGOW.

TRAVELLING   SPIRIT   STOVES,  complete  with
Pan 1s each.   Combination Knife and  Fork, 9d each.
Collapsible Drinking Cups, 6d and 1s.  Vacuum Flasks
(will  keep  liquids  boiling  hot  for  24 hours),    1s 11d
each.  Tin Openers, 4½d each. Hollow Ground Razors,
1s. each.  Razor Strops, 9d.   Safety  Razors  from 1s.
to 21s.  Electric   Pocket   Lamps   from   8d  to  1s 9d
each.   Candle Lanterns, 1s.  Field Glasses from 7s 6d
to 27s 6d.  Strong Ironclad Watches, 3s 9d each.         
FOLDING WASHSTANDS, 7s.   Sponge  Baths,  8s. 
Enamelled Pocket Flasks, 9d.    Enamelled Water Jugs,
1s 9d.   Nail  Brushes,  4d.   Cloth  Brushes, 1s.   Shoe
Brushes,  6d.  Polishing  Cloths, 3½d each.  Aluminium
Soap Boxes, 6d each.                                                 
TERRITORIAL FOLDING CAMP BEDS, size when 
folded  39in.  by  6in.  by  4in.,  weight  19lb.,  15s each.
Tuckaway  Camp  Beds,  10s 6d each.   Camp Chairs,
2s 11d.    Camp  Stools,  1s 6d  each.    Kit Mirrors, 6d
each.  Air Cushions, 15in. diameter, 1s 9d each.          



RED CROSS SOCIETIES

AND   OTHER AGENCIES
FORMED FOR THE AMELIORATION OF THE
HARDSHIPS OF OUR TROOPS IN THE FIELD
ARE EARNESTLY INVITED BY
MESSRS COPLAND & LYE
TO   INSPECT   THEIR   HUGE   STOCKS  OF  WHITE 
SHETLAND      AND     ARMY     GREY   FLANNELS,
CEYLON SHIRTINGS, FLANNELETTES, BLANKETS,
ETC.,      ETC,      ALL    OF    WHICH    ARE   BEING
OFFERED AT GREATLY REDUCED PRICES.             


MEN'S SECTION. 
SPECIAL BARGAINS.
IN  THE MOST USEFUL GARMENTS FOR OUR
SOLDIERS AND SAILORS ON ACTIVE SERVICE.
HARD WEARING  ARMY WHEELING  SOCKS,  in
Dark Steel,  Shetland Grey, and  Lovat  shades, at 11s.,
12s., 12s 9d., and 15s 6d per dozen.                              
ODD LOTS OF FLANNEL SHIRTS, 3s 11d each.      
SPECIAL VALUE FLANNEL SHIRTS, 5s 11d each, 
3 for 17s.                                                                   
ALL-WOOL   FLANNEL  SHIRTS,  6s 11d  each,  3 
for 20s.                                                                     
BALACLAVA  ALL-WOOL  CAPS,  12s and 16s 6d 
per dozen.                                                                 
FOR THE HOSPITAL.
FLANNELETTE   NIGHTSHIRTS.   1s 11½d each; 
worth 2s 6d.                                                             
CEYLON FLANNEL NIGHTSHIRTS, 3s 11d each; 
worth 5s 6d.                                                            
CEYLON  FLANNEL  PYJAMAS,  5s 11d per suit; 
worth 7s 6d.                                                            
ALL-WOOL FLANNEL PYJAMAS – 20 Dozen to 
clear,   10s 6d per suit; were 13s 6d  and  15s 6d  per 
suit.                                                                        

COPLAND & LYE
SAUCHIEHALL STREET, WELLINGTON STREET, AND BATH STREET, GLASGOW.





[Like many other newspapers at the time, the front page of the Glasgow Herald was all advertisements and personal announcements, in narrow columns. No matter how momentous the news of the day was, there was no sign of it on the front page. 

There were articles in the press about this time saying that because of the war, consumers were avoiding buying anything not immediately essential, and that this was leading to unemployment.  The McDonalds ad suggests that this employer was choosing to keep staff employed when perhaps there was not enough trade to need them all. 

The list of items in the Shaw & Walker ad 'For Territorials' seems better suited to a camping holiday, although the Territorials at this point were mostly in training camps around the country.

The ad from Copland & Lye makes clear that socks and flannel shirts were easily available to buy.  It's not clear why ordinary soldiers would have needed to buy shirts - the War Office would have provided them.  (Extra socks were always welcome, though.)  But officers provided their own uniforms, so perhaps the ad is mainly aimed at them.  The ad also shows that volunteers making flannel shirts at home were in competition with an existing industry which was set up for mass production and could produce them much more efficiently. 

For a note on the prices, and the currency in use in 1914, see the next post. ]

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