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AN UNLIKELY TIME CAPSULE

lewis fifth floor

LEWIS’S FIFTH FLOOR

Written by Elsa Brown: On the fifth floor of the landmark Lewis’s Department Store in Liverpool, an unlikely time capsule has been unearthed. Closed and untouched for almost 30 years, the floor has been revealed to house retro treasures. For example, there’s a 1950’s diner, a 70’s hair salon and creepy curiosities like a room full of dismembered mannequins. Artist Stephen King prompted the reopening of this forgotten space, and made it the basis of a commissioned photo series, interview project and book.

From the project website: “The fifth floor…was once a bustling hive of activity filled with staff and customers who recognised it as the epitome of leisure, style and shopping. It closed to the public in the 1980s. What remains is an evocative space complete with original period fixtures and fittings from the 50s, 60s and 1970s.” King’s photos are haunting, with a touch of humor. Loud, campy interior design clashes with the space’s aged weariness. A one-time provocateur of enthusiastic spending, the fifth floor is now an accidental monument to its own glory days.” Click Read More for additional information and photos.

lewis fifth floor