(BACK COVER BLURB)
Pritchard & Co. Ltd. (1888–1959) is a name which has almost faded from memory in Malaysia. Its foundation and development encompass a period when Malaya saw unprecedented growth driven by an export boom in tin, rubber, and other agricultural produce which coincided with advances in technology such as the invention of electricity, telephones, motorised vehicles, and aircraft.
As the first widely-diversified department store in northern Malaya, with its main store in Penang and branches in Ipoh, Butterworth, and Sungai Petani, Pritchard’s became a key player in the growth of retailing in Malaya during the best and worst of times of British colonial Malaya.
Drawn from family documents and richly-illustrated with nearly 300 images, including many rarely seen photographs from inside the stores, this book captures spectacularly the essence of times past as it follows the fortunes, activities, and fate of the business and the family behind it.
9-11 Union Street, constructed by Pritchard & Co. in 1916, currently the Maybank building (Courtesy of The Robert Hussey Collection)
“Pritchard’s of Penang – Enterprise, Secession, and Murder” featuring items from The Robert Hussey Collection is a thoroughly-researched and richly-detailed exploration of one of Penang’s most iconic retail establishments.
Drawing from a wealth of memorabilia and personal insights provided by someone intimately connected to the Pritchard family, historian Marcus Langdon masterfully weaves a narrative that captures the essence of the island’s retail history from the British colonial era to modern times.
15 Beach Street, where Pritchard & Co. began (Courtesy of The Robert Hussey Collection)
“During a research trip to Singapore around 2011, a well-spoken gentleman named Robert Hussey contacted me,” says Langdon in the book’s preface.
“In his possession were some old Penang photographs which had been left to him, and he wondered if they might have some historical interest.”
Langdon had recently relocated to Penang and Hussey, too, was making plans to move from Singapore to Penang—the place of his birth. Some three years later he made that move.
“Over the next few years,” Langdon recalls “we met up regularly and I became aware of the extent of his collection.
“Essentially it was an assemblage of personal documents, photographs, drawings, and miscellaneous items relating to several generations of the Pritchard family, the core of the collection offered a wonderful insight into British life in Penang in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
“Understanding that Pritchard’s (as it was colloquially known) was acknowledged as the first true British-style department store in Penang and northern Malaya, we both felt it was important that the relevant portions of this rare collection were recorded for posterity.”
And so the book project took off and Langdon spent a great amount of time on it when what he dubs “a microscopic virus dubbed COVID-19”, came along.
“With Malaysia and the majority of the world’s population shut down and confined to our homes, and without the usual daily distractions of a publishing business, more work was accomplished at my desk in those far-too-many long months than thought humanly possible.
“The backbone of this book,” he explains, “was forged at that time.”
“Again, other projects and complications got in the way, and it is only now that the final touches, and providential updates, have been applied.”
The book chronicles Pritchard’s journey as more than just a store—it was a symbol of upscale shopping and a bellwether of Penang’s socio-economic landscape during its heyday.
Before the advent of Whiteaways—another historic department store that eventually became more dominant—Pritchard’s played a significant role in the retail landscape of Penang, embodying the colonial-era shopping experience.
Over the years, as shopping habits and retail environments evolved, Pritchard’s gradually declined in prominence, but it remains a nostalgic symbol of Penang’s rich commercial history.
Langdon’s meticulous approach shines through in his vivid descriptions and images of the store’s evolution, from its founding days during the British occupation, through the tumult of the Second World War, and into the post-war resurgence.
George Henry Pritchard, 1927 (Courtesy of The Robert Hussey Collection)
One of the most compelling aspects of the book is its detailed account of the advertising campaigns that helped cement Pritchard’s reputation as a premier shopping destination.
Langdon’s insights into marketing strategies of the time, are illuminated via the photographs and graphics of how the store maintained its allure and adapted to changing times.
The narrative also thoughtfully addresses the challenges faced during wartime, highlighting the resilience of the business and its ability to bounce back after setbacks.
What sets this book apart is the author’s ability to combine solid research with a personal touch, bringing to life the stories behind the memorabilia that made Pritchard’s a household name.
It is a nostalgic yet informative journey that not only celebrates a storied business but also offers a window into Penang’s broader cultural and economic history.
In sum, “Pritchard’s of Penang – Enterprise, Secession, and Murder”, is a must-read for history enthusiasts, retail aficionados, and anyone interested in the rich tapestry of Penang’s colonial past.
Inside the Union Street store, 1930s (Courtesy of The Robert Hussey Collection)
In crafting a compelling narrative that honours the legacy of Pritchard’s while providing valuable insights into the evolution of retail in Southeast Asia, Langdon has this to say:
“I cannot express how grateful I am to have been given the opportunity to bring this treasured cache of family and business history to light for a wider audience to share and preserve for posterity.”
“Despite the ‘colonial’ period now being frowned upon by upcoming generations, it is nevertheless an integral part of the development of Malaya as it was—and something future generations will undoubtedly be researching.
“Even today,” Langdon adds, “many Penangites, and indeed those further afield, would not have even heard of Pritchard’s. It was, after all, essentially an era long before their time.
“Hopefully this book, with its remarkable photographs, will restore Pritchard & Co. and the families behind it to its small but rightful niche in Penang, and indeed, Malaysian, history.”
Below are several excerpts from the book for interested history buffs and shopaholics:
(For many years, Pritchard’s had been the tailors of choice to the Royal Court of Kedah under Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah.
Remarkably, it was the practice of the royalty and members of the Court to wear Western clothing outside their private abodes.
Lighter drill materials were used for office wear, and often heavy Tweed was donned for formal occasions.
In his 1959 book Prince and Premier, Harry Miller stated that:
‘Twice a year an English tailor from Pritchard’s, a firm in Penang, travelled the sixty miles to Alor Star to measure members of the royal family for new clothes.
He returned a few weeks later for fittings. When the sultan’s son, Tunku Abdul Rahman, was awarded a scholarship to Cambridge University in 1919, ‘The man from Pritchard’s in Penang was summoned to fit the sixteen-year-old prince with suits.’
Excitement is also said to have prevailed at the Penang store when King Rama VI of Siam paid a visit on 7 October 1924.
After purchasing jewellery at B.P. de Silva’s store in Bishop Street, the King was reportedly hosted to tea at Pritchard’s.)
(“Pritchard’s of Penang – Enterprise, Secession, and Murder” will be launched during the George Town Literary Festival 2025 this November 28-30)
About the Author
Marcus Langdon has spent several decades researching the myriad fascinating stories in Penang’s developed history. Based in Penang, he also advises on historical projects and was a founding director of Entrepot Publishing Sdn Bhd.
Other titles by Marcus include:
• Penang: The Fourth Presidency of India 1805–1830
o Volume 1, ‘Ships, Men and Mansions’. Areca Books, 2013.
o Volume 2, ‘Fire, Spice and Edifice’. George Town World Heritage Incorporated, 2015.
o Volume 3, ‘Water, Wigs and Wisdom’. Entrepot Publishing, 2021.
• Biographical Dictionary of Mercantile Personalities of Penang, (contributing editor). Think City/MBRAS, 2014.
• George Town’s Historic Commercial and Civic Precincts(researcher/writer). George Town World Heritage Incorporated, 2015.
• Epitaph: The Northam Road Protestant Cemetery, George Town, Penang. George Town World Heritage Incorporated, 2017.
• The Habitat Penang Hill: a pocket history, Marcus Langdon & Keith Hockton. Entrepot Publishing, 2018.
• Penang Then & Now: A Century of Change in Pictures.Marcus Langdon & Keith Hockton, Entrepot Publishing, 2019.
• Pastoral Port: An Agrarian History of Penang. Penang Institute, 2023.
• George Town & Adelaide: Sister Cities 50th Anniversary 1973–2023, Marcus Langdon & Rachel Yeoh, MBPP, 2024.
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