Mr S.Landau opens a Gramophone Shop on the 37A The Broadway in West Ealing. In 1930 the shop moves to into number 33. By 1926 there is a branch at 300 Harrow Road W2 (near Paddington). His slogan was If you want service try S.Landau. In October 1930 Mr Laudau promotes his shop with a recital of Columbia records at the Park Theatre, Hanwell.
In June 30 1930 Mr S. Landau opened a third shop at 174 High St, Sutton and placed his 19 year old son Victor as Manager.
In 1936 Victor marries Clair, the daughter of another radio dealer of South West London and the business in Sutton was transferred to Mr & Mrs Landau. Victor Landau was brought up in the atmosphere of the Gramophone. He would say that he was “weaned” on gramophone needles and that his principle reading as a boy was Gramophone Catalogues. He could still recall when the shop sold cylinder records. His father was a pioneer dealer in of the disc record and he said that in the early days records were shipped across from America in barrels and dealers took “pot-luck” with what they bought. By 1936, when Victor took over the business from his father the future must have looked very bright indeed. Radio had become a universal household installation and television was under development at Crystal Palace with the first broadcasts from Alexandra Palace on November 2nd 1936.
In 1937 there was the Ealing shop and branches at Wilton St & Tatchbrook St,Victoria, 173 King's Road, Chelsea. 35 Rupert St W1 & 300 Harrow Rd W2 all trading as S. Landau and the Sutton shop as Landau Radio.
After the outbreak of WW2, in 1941 Victor joins the RAF as a radar technician and serves in the Middle East, North Africa and the Levant while his wife carries on running the shop.
After the way they have two daughters, one is married and her husband works in the business.
In 1959 the shop in Sutton underwent major reconstruction that lasted four months. Extra floors were added and the building extended back nearly 150 feet. The first floor was devoted to Television, Radio & Radiograms. The second floor is the Service Department. The ground floor record shop carried the largest stock of records outside of the West End of London. There were seven listening booths of the most modern design and some wired with twin speakers to demonstrate stereo records. As many as 40,000 records are kept in stock.
The shop continues to trade until thr 1990's
Comments
Name: Jon Diamond
Comment: I worked there in the 1970s and early 1980s and would love to hear from anyone who was there - [email protected].
(8 July 2014)
Name: Chris Hampton
Comment: Any pictures of the inside of this shop in the 1960s? I was a teenager then and bought all my records from here. Historical making sounds!
(24 November 2013)
Name: Ben's Collectors Records
Comment: Landaus of Sutton stickers keep turning up on records in my shop , this place must have been a major player in the early 1960s!
(10 January 2013)
Name: Michael Cohen
Comment: This was my grandparents' shop.
(6 May 2012)
Name: Chris Hampton
Comment: It certainly was a major player. That's where I bought my first record at 12 years old, She Loves You - the Beatles! Yes and I remember the sticker on every record. Save albums. Sadly I lost my priceless record collection when I left it in storage and came to America. but hey, now with the internet you can find anything!
(26 November 2015)
Name: Mike Chapman
Comment: I used to live in Rosehill Gardens and obtained all my vinyl there from the mid 1960s to the late 1970s.
When did it actually get sold to HMV? I remember there used to to be a middle-aged lady called Mrs Davis (who as a youngster seemed too old to be working in a record shop!) but she was brilliant and her knowledge and helpfulness was incredible.
I believe Gerry Landau owned the shop. Great memories.
(April 2016)
Name: Elliot Baxendale
Comment: I love the idea that the records that brought so much joy and inspiration are still in circulation. Giving the same feeling as when released to those of a different generation.
(9 November 2016)
Name: Derek Hanlon
Comment: When I worked there in 1960-1962, I was in the service department with Ray Tuck, Alan Stroud, and Robin (Connaway I think). Two of the girls in the shop were Ursula and Elspeth. Vic and Clara Landau owned and ran the shop with Gerald who was, I think, their son-in-law. Opposite Landau's was a coffee shop selling fantastic Italian ice cream.
(2018)
Name: Mike Salter
Comment: At the age of 15 I was well into the music of the time and I have a suitcase full of 45s with the Landau's sticker on with the number on the records corresponding with the sleeves. So many happy times asking the staff to play a particular track and going into a booth and listening over and over again. That was usually from an LP. I was living in Cheam at the time (1960) and going to Chatsworth Road School. I am obviously talking about the Sutton Store.
(2019)
Name: Will Swales
Comment: I bought a record at a car boot sale at the weekend with a Landau sticker on the back. It was The Oscar Peterson Trio - The Trio: Live From Chicago and the inscription on the sticker reads 'LANDAU RADIO ltd. 174, HIGH STREET, SUTTON, SURREY. Tel: Vigilant. 0084'.
I now actually live in Sutton near the station, and would love to know where this shop used to reside, and what's there now.
(2019)
Name: Peter Goodwin
Comment: I went there every Saturday morning in the 1960s. I still have the vinyl bought from there with their sticker.
(2020)
Name: Nigel Hawkes
Comment: Wow - another trip down Memory Lane! Having taken (late) retirement last year I've found time to play a lot of my now much-reduced LP collection and - yes - the Landau's sticker is on many.
Early 1960s, as a Banstead schoolboy, I started with The Great Western TV Themes by Johnny Gregory, then The Beatles of course, then I got into film music - specifically Elmer Bernstein - those lovely United Artists LP covers.
(2021)
Name: Allan Groombridge
Comment: My chums and I used to visit Landau's and listen to records in the little booths on the left-hand side. We got into (old style) R&B: Yardbirds, Alexis Korner, Cyril Davies, etc.. Heard Cream playing Spoonful from the Wheels of Fire album there for the first time. An epiphany! I welled up with the emotion. Like a pair of great gates had opened up to reveal a masterpiece in a new musical gallery. I still listen to it today and get lost in it each time I do! And yes the ice cream shop opposite sold the best ice cream I have ever tasted. The guy was Italian, and I believe the cafe was called The Regent, or something like that. I can see the guy's face now. I'm 74 now and have got another band together in Aylsham Norfolk.
Cheers!
(2022)
“LANDAU RADIO LTD., 195-199 HIGH ST, SUTTON, SURREY.”
I have bought today a record "South Pacific and The King and I" with a sticker"LANDAU RADIO Ltd.
174, HIGH STREET, SUTTON, SURREY.
Tel.: VIGilant. 0084."
So I found this blog and must to say that their records are in use and brings joy and happiness even in 2025.
Best wishes to all, Alex.
Poole, Dorset county, UK