Johnnies Exhibit

From a small shop to a retailing icon, over its 132 year history John Martins traded its way into the hearts and minds of the South Australian community. Now a special exhibition at the State Library of South Australia traces Johnnies remarkable history until its closure last year. It all began here at 94 Rundle Street in 1866 when Otto Peters and John Martin established a drapers shop. "Obviously it was successful. They started expanding along Rundle Mall or Rundle Street as it was then. Otto Peters sold out some years late. John Martin continued for a few years as a single trader and then brought the Haywards into partnership with him and that was the start of they Hayward Association. But not all went according to plan. On Easter Saturday 1901, a fire ripped through the store. Undaunted, John Martins held a fire sale three weeks later. After several months of rebuilding it was business as usual. Here the customer was always right, even when technically wrong. With English not his first language, the Afghan trader Kaiser Singh, could be excused for the spelling errors in his order to John martins staff in 1903. But within a matter of days his request for fancy ladies broaches, boot laces and safety pins would be met an he'd be off to service the needs of station owners in the outback. "They were willing to meet the community needs and they were willing supply the Afghan Trader. That's what he needed that what they supplied." The emphasis was often on innovation and a willingness to embrace new technology.

Johnnies had the first soda fountain in Adelaide and the first escalator and many would remember this innovation the John martins Credit plate. But it was the store's community spirit that ensured a place in every South Australian's heart with events like the Christmas Pageant. "It was designed as a one-off actually in 1933 and that was for the children of South Australia who had suffered through the depression." Memories of Johnnies - The South Australian Store - is on at the exhibition space in the State Library of South Australia until January the 30th. Admission is free.

For more information you can email info@postcards-sa.com.au