The Gramophone Gallery

My maternal Grandmother - mum’s mother - Beatrice Dyson, nee Bennett (1902 - 1978), was the Manageress of The Gramophone Gallery, 2, High Court, Sheffield for a number of years leading up to her marriage to Frank Dyson on July 28th 1928. I’m not certain of what year she commenced employment at The Gallery, but given she was born in 1902 and left school at 14 it seems unlikely that she was manageress there before 1918 when she would have been 16, so she probably worked there as manageress for around 10 years. We do believe that she was established as manageress by 1920 when she used to travel to the homes of the wealthier people of the area to demonstrate gramophones to them.

When Grandma left The Gallery (as ladies did leave employment upon marriage in those days) Mr. Franklyn closed down the gallery telling Grandma that he would never find anyone to replace her who would be her equal as manager(less) and he would prefer to close the business rather than let it be managed in an inferior way compared to how she had managed it. He offered her free reign to take any items she liked from the shop as mementos of her time there and she took two brass and one copper ashtray, which I still have here in the house that Grandma and Grandfather moved in to on their wedding day in 1928, and a print of a painting of an elderly couple gazing in wonder as they listen to an Edison phonograph. The print was supplied by Edison as advertising material for their gramophones. We still have the painting but it has been wrapped in newspaper for over 60 years since a door blew open against it and the door knob broke the glass. I intend to offer the print to the Sheffield City Archives. (There is also a cut glass salad dish which Mr. & Mrs. Franklyn gave to my grandparents as a wedding present.)

Mum (1929 - 2025) told me several times that when she was little (in the 1930’s) she asked her mother to show her where The Gallery had been, but the premises had changed out of all recognition since The Gallery closed in 1928. Since then I have established from other sources that Cockayne’s Arcade (a superior quality department store) which backed on to The Gallery was completely destroyed by a direct hit in The Sheffield Blitz in December 1940, and given its proximity to High Court and The Gallery in particular it seems very likely that after 1940 there was no trace of The Gallery left.

High Court is currently a rather grubby alleyway between ‘bargain’ shops and the buildings on High Court are mostly office premises now.

Clearly Mr. Franklyn thought very highly of Grandma, as noted in his letter from he and his wife congratulating my grandparents on their marriage. Dave (2025)

Comments

Dave Harwood

14 Jul 2025 at 08:36

I found this in the 'Sheffield Daily Telegraph' dated 20th December 1921:
“THE GRAMOPHONE GALLERY – SPECIALISING IN 'HIS MASTER'S VOICE'. Select your Records in quiet and comfort. PRIVATE AUDITION ROOMS. The Complete Store on the Ground Floor, HIGH COURT, SHEFFIELD. TEL. 3614. (High Court is opposite Walsh's.). Look for 'His Master's Voice' Sign in Colours.”

Dave Darwent

13 Nov 2025 at 03:52

My maternal Grandmother was the manageress of The Gramophone Gallery on High Court from 1920 until she left work (as ladies had to in those days) to be married in 1928. The gentleman who owned the Gallery told her that he could not replace her and that he would therefore close down the shop on her departure. I have a few artefacts from the shop still and some letters from the shop owner to my grandmother following the birth of her daughter (my mother - who only died 6 months ago). I would like to know more about The Gallery, but until now many decades of attempts by my mother and then me have failed to unearth anything at all, including at the city archives.

Dave Harwood

14 Nov 2025 at 09:45

I found this in the 'Sheffield Daily Telegraph' dated 13th November 1909: “GRAMOPHONE IN ELEPHANT’S FOOT. This interesting novelty is in an exhibition at the Gramophone Gallery, 13, High Street. The foot measures ? inches round, and is worth seeing.”
...and this change of address in the 29th June 1910 edition:
“REMOVED - THE GRAMOPHONE GALLERY From 13 HIGH STREET to 8 and 10, GEORGE STREET (opposite the Sheffield Telegraph). Telegrams “Gramophone.”’ Telephone 3614.”
...this in the 'Sheffield Independent' dated 3rd December 1910:
“THE ONLY PLACE IN SHEFFIELD KEPT SOLELY for TALKING MACHINES is the Gramophone Gallery, 8 and 10, George Street.”
...and this in the 15th October 1912 edition:
“Sheffield’s Smartest Service. THE GRAMOPHONE GALLERY, GEORGE ST.”
...plus this change of address in the 'Sheffield Daily Telegraph' dated 16th February 1915:
“GRAMOPHONE GALLERY, HIGH COURT (Opp. Walsh's). the Sign - His Master's Voice, in Colours.”

Dave Harwood

14 Nov 2025 at 10:02

I found this in the 'Sheffield Daily Telegraph' dated 17th January 1919:' “His Master's Voice - Sheffield's Leading Agency - Gramophone Gallery, HIGH COURT (OPP. WALSH'S). Bertram Franklyn, Proprietor. Look for the sign, HIS MASTER'S VOICE, in Colours.”

Dave Darwent

16 Nov 2025 at 01:35

These adverts are very interesting and its brilliant to know of the former addresses of The Gallery.

I am reminded, by looking at the Adverts, that one of the brands of Gramophone which Grandma used to sell at The Gallery was Gilbert. I understand that Gilbert Gramophones were made on Sharrowvale Road in Sheffield, and there is still a large building which is now used by bespoke wooden furniture manaufacturers and a large ‘vintage’ store which is simply called “Gilbert’s”. I believe, but have yet to find proof, that this is Gilbert Gramophone’s old factory.