Invoices from 1940

One of our recent acquisitions is a box of invoices from the old Western Trading Store, dated 1940. The grocer/draper shop, owned by W.J.F. McCulloch, was where the new second-hand shop is now, 161 Main Street, near the Central Garage. The box was found in the roof by the new owner, Wayne, who offered it to the museum.

From chaos...

It took a few hours, but Jim Carson and I managed to select at least one invoice from each of the companies that W.J.F. McCulloch did business with and put them in polypropylene sleeves to protect them. The list of companies and what was ordered from them provides an interesting snapshot into wartime Otautau.

...to conservation.

McCulloch ordered goods from as far away as Auckland covering necessities such as bloomers, pyjamas, exercise books, tea, fruit and confections. Here is an invoice from the major firm Sargood Son & Ewen Ltd which had warehouses all over New Zealand. Here is a photo of their Invercargill Warehouse.

It was especially rewarding to find invoices from local businesses such as Gordon Sinclair, chemist; W.B. Ireland; J.E. Watson; Henry Laing, Baker; and Stephens and Walker, Butchers.

This acquisition was full of surprises and a pleasure to accept.

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