After World War II (1939-1945), rationing still continued on some items well into the 1950s. The economy took a number of years to recover from the war and luxury items were rare.

This photograph captures the fashions and car designs of the late 1950s and highlights just how much had changed since the beginning of the century. People in the photograph are rather conservatively dressed, which may well still be due to the war.

The Corner Shop

The corner shop, such as Walker's, was a familiar sight in most Scottish towns and villages. In the 1950s, most people would have done the majority of their grocery shopping in the local stores.However, with the arrival of the large supermarkets, many of the corner shops were forced to close down because they could not compete with the larger stores.

With its roots in the latter half of the Eighteenth century, the co-operative movement has a long history. It has been a significant part of the shopping scene ever since.

The Penicuik Co-operative Association was opened in 1859. It was a vigorous, expanding organisation and owned numerous stores, both within and outwith Penicuik. This meant that buyers had to look no further than the co-operative store for all their household needs.This clip shows the interior and the staff of the Bilston branch. Such fully stocked shelves were commonplace in the 1950s.

The Gorebridge Co-operative Society store in Hunterfield Road was opened in the late 1950s. Co-operatives were often trendsetters amongst local shops, and this store still looks very similar in the early Twenty-First century.This photograph shows the store manager, Sandy Brunton, looking on as a customer waits to be served. An array of stocked shelves can be seen in the background.

Clothing: In the 1950s, most people did the majority of their clothes shopping in the locally owned stores. There were not so many High Street fashion outlets as today and this meant that there was less choice.

Grafton's clothing shop had a number of outlets throughout Scotland in the 1950s and 60s. It stocked clothing for men, women and children.The long glass windows, displaying some of the store's merchandise, have been designed to draw potential customers into the store. One can see, even from the passers-by, that the styles are very different from today.

Austin the Tailor had many branches throughout Scotland. After World War II suit sales were high and ready to wear suits were quite popular. The wearing of suits started to decline in the 1950s when teenagers decided that they wanted a different look from their parents.The suit still remained the preferred mode of dress for the workplace but dressing down, i.e. more casual dress was starting to be seen.

Large department stores were also becoming increasingly popular, stocking an ever-widening range of goods. They were frequently updated to keep up with new fashions and designs.

Jenners Department store was built between 1893-5. This large, six-storeyed Renaissance-style building occupies a prime site on Princes Street, Edinburgh's main shopping street. It was one of the biggest department stores of its day.This shows a sheet of designs for a stair, shoe stand, blouse fitment, fabric counter and millinery corner, from the 1950s. The modern design of these fittings would have been chosen to update the appearance of the store.

G. L. Wilson's Department Store was located in the Murraygate, Dundee's principal commercial street. This photograph shows a window display by the Store, who were well-known for their artistic displays. The display probably took place sometime during the 1950s and features fashion accessories, mainly gloves and handbags and millinery.