Port Elizabeth of Yore: End of the Era of the Double-Storey Buildings

This blog is largely based upon the reminiscences in the 1940s of Anthony Scallan who was born on the first floor of his father’s shop in Main Street on 12nd October 1852. Below, the sign on the shop front, it read, “James Scallan, Tailor.”  This business was run by John’s grandfather, James Scallan, an early Settler but not strictly 1820, and by his father, Patric [sic], who had been born in 1822. 

He vividly recounts what Main Street was like in an era when most buildings were double-storeyed with the upstairs area being the family’s home. Join me on a journey to a long-lost world of early Main Street, not only the buildings but also some of the characters that inhabited them. 

Main picture: One of the earlier photographs of Market Square long before the erection of the Public Library

Continue reading

Port Elizabeth of Yore: Fischer’s Jewellers

Not only does Fischer’s Jewellers embody the essence of Port Elizabeth but also for many of its citizens, especially in prior generations, Fischer’s was their preferred choice for jewellery. Also, the building is one of the remaining structure built in the Art Nouveau style.

Apart from this obvious connection, my grandmother had another, more obtuse connection, to this iconic store. 

Main picture: One of the very earliest photos of the newly opened Fischer & Co building in Main Street circa 1914

Continue reading