Address: 114 Micklegate, YO1 6JX (now above Brigantes Bar)
Description
The sign, painted directly onto the wall, features ‘Oliver’s’ written in black cursive against a white background.
History
Meet Whitby Charles Oliver, born in 1869, the fourth son of a York Castle warder.
In the late 1890s, with a dream in his heart and sawdust in his soul, Whitby embarked on a venture that would etch his name into the annals of York’s commercial history.
The saga began in 1897, right after Whitby honed his skills under the watchful eye of John Taylor, a master of cabinets and comfort on Coney Street.
From there, Whitby’s name became synonymous with elegant finely-crafted furniture.
1940s – Oliver’s is visible on the left, with a square clock hanging outside
For decades, nestled in Micklegate, Oliver’s stood as a beacon of quality, morphing through time as a furniture store, a French polisher’s haven, a cabinet maker’s workshop, and even a dignified funeral director’s.
The original Oliver’s sign can be seen in all its former glory in a photo taken of the Queen on her visit to York in 1971:
1971 – In the top right the original Oliver’s sign is visible
Post WWII, Whitby Oliver opened another branch on the corner of Colliergate and Saviourgate (next to the Centenary Chapel).
Whitby Oliver’s premises on the corner of Colliergate
Then, at the beginning of the 1970s, Oliver’s sought new horizons, moving from Micklegate to Fulford.
Throughout this period, Oliver’s was widely recognised in York for its distinctive furniture removal vans, as depicted in the images here:
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