Atkinsons Sheffield: City's only department store wants your pictures for 150th anniversary videos

The Atkinson’s team is collaborating with local production company Open House Pictures to produce the videos.

Atkinsons marketing manager David Cartwright, said: “We are delighted to be working with Joe and Dan from Open House Pictures on a series of short videos that we have planned to celebrate our 150th anniversary.

"The first of these will be to celebrate our rich history as Atkinson’s continues to be very much part of the Sheffield landscape and many Sheffield people have Atkinsons memories or stories to share. We will also be using this platform to keep people informed of a series of events we have planned and for them to come and join us in our celebrations.”

Co-founder of Open House Pictures, Joe Palmer, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to help Atkinson’s celebrate their big birthday and engaging with the public to share their fond memories of the store will make the video even more special.”

John Atkinson opened his first shop on The Moor, then known as South Street, in 1872 selling ribbons and beads.

Over a number of years the store expanded and then, just before the turn of the century, the founder developed a department store on the site where Atkinson’s is today.

The store has survived two world wars – it was flattened in the Sheffield Blitz of 1940 – and numerous recessions.

The store, which has become a Sheffield institution, even had an in-house zoo during the 1930s, from which a crocodile once escaped before being found at the bottom of a lift shaft.

Atkinson’s is now the city’s sole department store following the closure of John Lewis and Debenhams.

The video producers would like to see anything from pictures of the building, shots from inside the store and beyond to help mark the anniversary.

If you have any to share, get in touch with Open House Pictures via their website at www.openhousepictures.co.uk, by emailing [email protected] or on 0114 205 1516.