Address: 1 King’s Square, York, YO1 8BH (on the corner of King’s Square)
Description
On two frosted glass windowpanes, the word ‘pharmacy’ is delicately etched in a small font at the centre, positioned above the main windows.
History
The building that housed the Boots Pharmacy in King’s Square once served as a ‘Cussins and Light,’ an electric appliance and homeware store.
Intriguingly, a ghost sign for Cussins and Light still adorns the building.
Before becoming Boots Pharmacy, this building was Cussins and Lights Source: York Press
In the late 1900s, the building became home to a Boots Pharmacy. Although it only closed its doors in October 2023, the Boots sign already has the appearance of a much older ghost sign.
The faded look, combined with the old-style font, creates an illusion of antiquity.
The story of Boots began in 1849 when John Boot opened the first herbalist store in Nottingham, offering affordable herbal alternatives to traditional medicines.
Inspired by the Thomsonian healthcare system from the US, Boot aimed to provide practical, accessible healthcare to the poorest in society.
1896 – The first Boots, established in Nottingham Source: Boots Heritage
By the late 1870s, the working classes were shifting from herbalism to patent remedies, largely due to extensive advertising.
In 1877, Jesse Boot, John’s son, took sole control of the business and launched a marketing campaign under the slogan “Health for a shilling,” positioning Boots as the go-to store for traditional medicines at reduced prices.
The Boots Pharmacy branch in King’s Square was part of this nationwide chain, but it closed in October 2023 as part of a nationwide program affecting 300 stores – reducing Boots’ total number of locations from 2,200 to 1,900.
The ghost sign, a relic of this once-bustling pharmacy, now serves as a modern testament to the building’s layered history.
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