Image by Black Taxi Tours of London
Hidden among the bustle of New Oxford Street is one of London’s most delightful surviving pieces of Victorian Britain.
James Smith & Sons, established in 1830, is widely recognised as London’s oldest umbrella shop, and stepping through its doors feels like walking into another century. With polished wooden counters, walls lined with handcrafted umbrellas and walking sticks, and a beautifully preserved Victorian interior, it’s as much a museum as it is a working shop.
The business was founded at a time when umbrellas were transforming from luxury accessories into everyday essentials. Early umbrellas were surprisingly controversial, many gentlemen considered them rather unmanly, preferring to brave the rain or hire a carriage instead. By the 19th century, however, changing fashions and London’s famously unreliable weather had firmly established the umbrella as an indispensable part of British life.
James Smith & Sons built its reputation on craftsmanship rather than fashion. Many of its umbrellas are still handmade using traditional techniques, with solid hardwood shafts and carefully selected canopies designed to last for decades rather than seasons. In an age of disposable goods, that commitment to quality feels refreshingly timeless.
The shop has witnessed almost two centuries of London’s history. It has survived the reigns of seven monarchs, the Industrial Revolution, two World Wars, the Blitz, and countless rainy afternoons. Generations of Londoners have passed through its doors, alongside visitors from around the world searching for a uniquely British keepsake.
One of the more entertaining chapters in umbrella history involves the Duke of Wellington, who reportedly left a gentlemen’s club carrying someone else’s umbrella after mistakenly believing it was his own. He was hardly alone. During the Victorian era, newspapers frequently carried reports of “umbrella thefts,” although many were probably nothing more sinister than absent-minded Londoners walking off with the nearest black umbrella after a sudden downpour. It seems that accidentally acquiring someone else’s umbrella has been a British tradition for almost as long as umbrellas themselves.
For travellers, James Smith & Sons offers something increasingly rare: an authentic shopping experience that hasn’t been designed purely for tourists. Whether you’re looking for a handcrafted umbrella that might outlast your suitcase or simply want to admire one of London’s best-preserved specialist shops, it’s an easy detour from the British Museum and Covent Garden.