Summary
Former 1930s hairdresser's shop retaining a good quality frontage and interior following its conversion into a tea shop. The listing does not extend to the rest of the building which is in domestic use and is not of special interest.
Reasons for Designation
The former Francis hairdresser's shop is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Shop front and fittings: for the rare, well preserved survival of an interwar hairdresser's retaining good quality signage and internal joinery, particularly the individual booths;
* Social history: an architectural illustration of the way that commercial hairdressing took over from personal lady's maids with the decrease in the numbers of domestic servants after the First World War.
History
The South Cliff area of Scarborough developed from the mid-C19 as an up-market seaside resort, with more intensive development prompted by the opening of the Valley Bridge in 1864, providing better access to the main part of Scarborough. South Street was originally built up as terraced town houses, but by the 1890's had become a shopping street: Bulmer's Directory of 1890 lists 7 South Street as belonging to Edward Smith (bookseller, stationer, library, and post office). In the 1930s, 7 South Street was converted into a ladies' hairdresser's, with the interior divided up into separate booths to provide privacy, and the shop front displaying the name of the proprietor (Francis). In the inter-war period there was a growth in commercial ladies' hairdressing. This was driven by the reduction in the numbers of domestic servants following the First World War, as fewer women had their own lady's maid to attend to their hair in private.
The hairdresser's was converted into a tearoom in c. 2004, retaining the shop front, booths and other fittings.
Details
Late C19 shop occupying the ground floor of a mid-C19 townhouse, converted to a hairdresser's c.1930, and then to a tearoom c. 2004.
EXTERIOR: the shop front extends to the full width of the terraced townhouse, but projects forward of the original front wall, the shop being extended over the former front garden. The entrance to the shop is central and inset, with a plain plate glass shop window to the right. The full frontage is framed with timber pilasters with scrolled consol brackets supporting a dentilated cornice. Although much of the shop front is considered to be late C19, the facia below the cornice is thought to be 1930s, being pearlescent peach Vitrolite imitating alabaster with applied black lettering in an art deco style font reading "FRANCIS". The shop entrance porch has a black and red tiled floor and a marble step. The door is panelled with an etched glass upper panel including the name FRANCIS, with a plain rectangular overlight above. To the far left there is the front door of the domestic accommodation above the shop (7a South Street), separated from the commercial entrance by blank walling. This door also has a plain overlight, the door itself being six panelled. The upper floors of the building are not included within the listing*. The only part of 7a South Street being included in the listing is its ground floor front exterior as this forms part of the shop front.
INTERIOR: with the exception of the separate domestic entrance hall and the staircase to the basement, the ground floor forms a single room forming the commercial premises. It is only these commercial premises that is included in the listing: the domestic entrance hall, the stairs down to the basement on the ground floor are excluded, as are the upper floors and the basement*.
At the front of the shop there is a large built-in display cabinet on the right and a much smaller one on the left. Beyond, on the right hand side of the shop, there is a series of five timber-panelled booths, the rear-most (and largest) originally being two booths. Half-way back on the left hand side there is a further booth which has been modified. These booths are framed in mahogany and extend to just above head height, finished with a cornice. Some panels are glazed with etched glass and each booth was originally closed with a door with a decorative etched glass upper panel. Two doors remain attached (now forming part of the panelling), with the others removed to a cupboard. Most of the booths retain a small 1930s column radiator, a mirror and a plywood panel marking the original position for a sink. The floor is of hardwood strips and is also considered to date to the 1930s. The room is lit by electric chandeliers, the one closest to the shop front also considered to be part of the 1930s refit. The rear of the shop is lit by a large mullion and transomed window with C19 stained glass in a geometric design.
* Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that these aforementioned features and part of the building are not of special architectural or historic interest.
