The House of Finnigans was a British luxury luggage and trunk maker established in 1830, originally in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
and later in
New Bond Street
Bond Street in the West End of London links Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north. Since the 18th century the street has housed many prestigious and upmarket fashion retailers. The southern section is Old Bond Street and the l ...
in London. The House of Finnigans manufactured and produced a wide range of luxury products, including trunks, bags, fashion, jewelry, timepieces, and silverware.
Early life of Brian Finnigan
The House of Finnigans was founded by Brian Finnigan, an Irishman descended from
Brian Boru
Brian Boru ( mga, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig; modern ga, Brian Bóramha; 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High King of Ireland, High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill and probably ended Viking invasion/domi ...
, the king of
Ireland in the high Middle Ages. He was the son of a seafarer, who spent summer months sailing off the coast of
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
, where he hunted whale and seal in Arctic waters.
In 1805, Brian Finnigan apprenticed to his father's friend and former sailing partner, Reuben Farrel. Farrel made leather goods in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, especially bags and trunks. This durable and weatherproof luggage was particularly adapted to the long and tedious journeys of that time. Both Reuben Farrel and Brian Finnigan moved to
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
as it developed into a prosperous city with the boom of the cotton industry.
Mancunian origins
In 1830, Brian Finnigan established a house on his own, the House of Finnigans. He opened a workshop in Newton Street Mill, and a Finnigans shop in
Market Street Market Street may refer to:
*Market Street, Cambridge, England
*Market Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
* Market Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia
*Market Street, Manchester, England
*Market Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
...
. Finnigans soon became famous for its high-quality leather goods and saddlery.
Particularly timely, the opening of the shop coincided with the beginning of the
Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR) was the first inter-city railway in the world. It opened on 15 September 1830 between the Lancashire towns of Liverpool and Manchester in England. It was also the first railway to rely exclusively ...
and
Robert Stephenson's Rocket, the world's first steam passenger railway, which increased demand for travel goods. Finnigans devised a special range of items for railway travel like the "Lady Train Case," with a jewelry tray and enough room for a woman's travelling wardrobe.
From then on, the house adapted its travel goods to new means of transportation from the railway to the automobile, and later air travel.
As picnicking became a fashionable outdoor activity, Finnigans elaborated the "Wicker Picnic Basket," which was popular not only among English travelers, but also Indian Rajahs who strapped them on the backs of elephants.
Expansion and advertising
In 1851, Finnigans gained international recognition when the house won a gold medal for craftsmanship at
Prince Albert
Prince Albert most commonly refers to:
*Albert, Prince Consort (1819–1861), consort of Queen Victoria
*Albert II, Prince of Monaco (born 1958), present head of state of Monaco
Prince Albert may also refer to:
Royalty
* Albert I of Belgium ...
’s
Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary The Crystal Palace, structure in which it was held), was an International Exhib ...
at the Crystal Palace, thereby spreading Finnigans’ reputation even wider.
By 1855, Finnigans had branched out, and now advertised as a trunk and portmanteau manufacturer. Its range of items constantly increased to include new items that were adapted to the new means of transportation.
One such item was the "Treble Folding Portmanteau" so constructed that the compartments were accessible at once and entirely distinct from each other, "rendering it unnecessary for luggage being disturbed or moved in passing through the customs."
The house's growth led to the opening of new premises at Piccadilly and
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and as ...
, in addition to its original location at
Market Street Market Street may refer to:
*Market Street, Cambridge, England
*Market Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
* Market Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia
*Market Street, Manchester, England
*Market Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
...
, Manchester.
William Finnigan, who embodied the second generation of the family business, built on his father's business and was behind the company's diversification and commercial success. He took over when Brian Finnigan passed away in 1868.
Expanding to New Bond Street in London and Liverpool
In 1879, William Finnigan opened a Finnigans shop at 18
New Bond Street
Bond Street in the West End of London links Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north. Since the 18th century the street has housed many prestigious and upmarket fashion retailers. The southern section is Old Bond Street and the l ...
in London. Soon, American millionaires such as the
Rockefellers
The Rockefeller family () is an American industrial, political, and banking family that owns one of the world's largest fortunes. The fortune was made in the American petroleum industry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries by brothe ...
, the
Vanderbilts
The Vanderbilt family is an American family who gained prominence during the Gilded Age. Their success began with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the family expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthr ...
and the
Fords joined the house's customer base. Opposite Finnigans on Bond Street was
Asprey
Asprey International Limited, formerly Asprey & Garrard Limited, is a United Kingdom-based designer, manufacturer and retailer of jewellery, silverware, home goods, leather goods, timepieces and a retailer of books.
Asprey's flagship re ...
: the two houses enjoyed a friendly rivalry that led to fruitful commercial developments. Still specializing in leather and saddlery, Finnigans also sold clocks, watches, and silverware.
Their London other addresses were
Clifford Street
Clifford Street is a street in central London, built in the early 18th century, on land that once formed part of the Burlington Estate. It is named after the Clifford family, Earls of Cumberland. The daughter and heiress of the last holder of ...
, Coach & Horses Yard,
Old Burlington Street
Old Burlington Street is a street in central London that is on land that was once part of the Burlington Estate.
Location
The street runs north–south from Boyle Street to Burlington Gardens and is crossed only by Clifford Street.
History
A ...
while their London works were at 6–10 Lexington Street, W1.
Finnigans also had stores in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
at 32 Bold Street and 37–41
Dale Street
Dale Street is a thoroughfare in Liverpool, England, in the Commercial Centre conservation area. The street together with Castle Street, Old Hall Street, Victoria Street and Water Street are the main commercial streets and occupy an area of ...
.
By the end of the century, the company outgrew its Manchester premises and moved to a more spacious building in
Deansgate
Deansgate is a main road (part of the A56) through Manchester City Centre, England. It runs roughly north–south in a near straight route through the western part of the city centre and is the longest road in the city centre at over one mile ...
. With the department store
Kendals
Kendals is the previous name of a department store in Manchester, England. Since 2005, the store now operates as House of Fraser. The store had previously been known during its operation as Kendal Milne, Kendal, Milne & Co, Kendal, Milne & Faul ...
at one end and Finnigans at the other, Deansgate became Manchester's main shopping street. The Deansgate store was later enlarged to encompass Finnigan's galleries, including a sports department, fashion and menswear, as well as beauty products.
Entering modernity
As the use of both personal and professional staff declined, the need for more lightweight luggage arose. Additionally, the use of motor car travel and the individual liberalization of travel were partly responsible for a new generation of luggage.
Portability became Finnigans’ priority. In 1909, Finnigans advertised cases that were strong and resistant yet "so light you can easily carry one yourself and thus retain your jewellery and valuables under your own control." In 1912, Finnigans also commercialized a "Lady’s Motor Hand Bag," both lightweight and fitted.
Finnigans adapted to modern forms of travel and developed special lines of luggage for overseas travel, especially on ocean liners such as the
Titanic
RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...
,
Normandie,
Queen Mary, and Canberra.
While practical, Finnigans’ travel items were also of great workmanship. The house's lightweight dressing cases in colourful, polished Morocco were particularly successful. Among items of the highest luxury was a dressing case to be offered as a present for marriage or a birthday in crocodile skin, with solid gold mountings and tortoiseshell handles. Crocodile briefcases by Finnigans have become highly valued collectibles.
In the 1930s, Finnigans launched a sports clothing line to fit the new lifestyle of the elite, and especially the vogue of sunbathing and swimming in seaside resorts. A two-piece bathing suit in bright yellow is preserved at the
Victoria & Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
in London.
Air travel brought weight restrictions and begat a reduction in the weight, size, and structure of luggage to which Finnigans contributed. New materials like vulcanized fiber replaced the heavier structured cases of leather and wood.
The Second World War and beyond
In 1938, the fourth generation of the family took over and Brian Finnigan, named after his ancestor, became the managing director. During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the house of Finnigans contributed to the war effort as its factory produced much needed webbing equipment.
Brian Finnigan expanded the reach of the family business and built up an export market to New York City, Canada, and the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
. After the war, Peter Finnigan joined his cousin Brian in the company and travelled to Macy's in New York to learn from modern American department stores and strengthen Finnigans’ export activities.
The two men studied with interest the moving of city stores to suburban locations and the advent of the shopping mall.
When the lease of the Deansgate store in Manchester expired in the 1950s, they pioneered this new retailing trend and moved Finnigans to
Wilmslow
Wilmslow ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England, south of Manchester city centre. The population was 24,497 at the 2011 Census.
History
Toponymy
Wilmslow derives its name from Old ...
, twelve miles from Manchester's city centre. Many other shops followed, making Wilmslow a thriving shopping center.
While in Wilmslow, Finnigans retained its luxury positioning, and notably sold tailor-made suits in high quality tweed. The house also produced high fashion handbags in crocodile lined with suede that were of "lasting luxury.”
In 1968, Finnigans closed its New Bond Street store in London. The company remained a family-run business until it shut down its last store in 1988.
The house of Finnigans today
The house of Finnigans has since changed hands and is now owned by the
Luvanis Luvanis S.A. is a private investment company headquartered in Luxembourg and specialized in the incubation and revival of long-dormant luxury brands, also coined as “sleeping beauties”.
History
Luvanis was founded in 2009 by Guy de Lummen ...
company, which specializes in reviving long-dormant brands, such as
Moynat
Moynat is one of the oldest Parisian trunkmakers. Their first studio was opened in Paris in 1849 founded by Octavie and François Coulembier. They joined forces with a specialist in travel goods named Pauline Moynat, to open the first store of ...
and
Belber
Belber is a heritage American leather goods company founded in Philadelphia in 1891.
History
Foundation
The Belber company was established in 1891 when two school-age brothers, Aaron and Henry Belber, scraped together $200 and started making ...
.
See also
*
Asprey
Asprey International Limited, formerly Asprey & Garrard Limited, is a United Kingdom-based designer, manufacturer and retailer of jewellery, silverware, home goods, leather goods, timepieces and a retailer of books.
Asprey's flagship re ...
Further reading
* Finamore, Daniel, and Ghislaine Wood. ''Ocean Liners: Glamour, Speed, and Style,'' London: Victoria & Albert Museum 2017, 272 p. ().
* Finnigan, Peter. ''Knock on Any Door: The Door Opens,'' Edinburgh, Melrose Books, 2009
999 999 or triple nine most often refers to:
* 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries
* 999 (number), an integer
* AD 999, a year
* 999 BC, a year
Books
* ''999'' (anthology) or ''999: ...
88 p. ().
*
Moulton, Mo. ''Ireland and the Irish in Interwar England'', Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014, 385 p. /p. 178-179 ().
Notes and references
External links
Finnigans bags in the V&A collection''Slater Directory of Manchester'', Leicester University special collections
{{coords, 51.5107, -0.1427, display=title
Luggage manufacturers
Leather goods
Luggage brands
Fashion accessory brands
Luxury brands
British brands
Clothing companies established in 1830
Bags (fashion)
Clothing brands of the United Kingdom
Clothing retailers of the United Kingdom
Shops in London
High fashion brands
Companies based in Greater Manchester
Irish diaspora in the United Kingdom