Millers Ltd.
Biography
Millers was founded in 1924 by Leslie Beaumont Miller in Greymouth on the west coast of New Zealand. By 1928 Millers had expanded to Christchurch with two retail sites. Seeking to expand his drapery business further in Christchurch, Leslie Miller acquired a site at 163-173 Tuam Street. George Alfred James Hart was hired to design the building Miller wanted and Campbell and Morrison were employed as the engineers.
The building Hart designed was the first in New Zealand to feature beamless concrete floor slabs. These were supported by hexagonal columns which were set apart at length to create a spacious retail environment.
The escalator was designed by Carl Flohr and Co. of Berlin, constructed in England and assembled in Christchurch. It was the first to be installed in the South Island and the longest escalator in New Zealand.
The ground floor and the first floor of the building were dedicated to retail and office space. The ground floor also featured a milk bar with a tea lounge set on an upper gallery. The second and third floors of the building were for manufacturing. The fourth floor was for staff recreation. This floor housed a cafeteria, dining room and provided space for games such as indoor bowls, ping pong, tennis and basketball. The roof also was used for staff recreation and housed a custodian’s apartment.
The building was completed in 1939. Later in that year, with the declaration of war, the company was responsible for the manufacturing of military uniforms for the New Zealand Army. After the war, Millers expanded, opening stores throughout the South Island of New Zealand.
Leslie Miller died in 1960 and his son Reginald ran the business, opening their flagship factory on Wairekei Road in 1970. They introduced the Dial A Curtain service in 1980, with van-based furnishing consultants. In 1993 Reginald’s son Geoff took the reins as Managing Director working with his wife Jill. As of 2022 Millers Ltd operates as a custom curtain and blind business.
Found in 64 Collections and/or Records:
News clippings book, February 1991-April 1993
Bound volume of newspaper clippings, largely from The Christchurch Star and The Press, featuring various advertisements for Millers Paper & Paint Stores.
News clippings book, April 1995-November 1998
Bound volume of newspaper clippings, largely from The Christchurch Star and The Press, featuring various advertisements for Millers Ltd.
Newspaper clippings, 1960-1989
Loose newspaper clippings, largely from The Christchurch Star and The Press, featuring various advertisements for Millers Ltd.
Newspaper clippings, 1990-2010
Loose newspaper clippings, largely from The Christchurch Star and The Press, featuring various advertisements for Millers Ltd.
Newspaper clippings, 1939-1978
Pandoras Box and Millers Paper and Paint Ltd., 1980-1989
Exterior and interior colour photographs of Pandoras Box, Millers store in the Turnbull & Jones building. Also includes photographs of the Millers discount store at Paper and Paint on Blenheim Road.
Photographs, 1923-2014
Photographs taken largely as part of promotions for Millers Ltd featuring window displays and visual merchandising, fashion parades and of customer queuing and shopping in stores. Also includes exteriors of Millers stores, mostly the Tuam Street head office site and some of Millers staff, most notably Leslie Beaumont Miller.
Shop displays and store scenes at Millers, 1979-1990
Colour photographs of shop displays and visual merchandising at Millers Ltd. Also includes photographs of customers queueing and shopping in stores.
Staff member at Millers Ltd, Circa 1960
Black and white photograph of an unidentied Millers Ltd. office staff member by Campbell Photography Dunedin.
Suit Box Carrier, 1939-1960
Millers Ltd. Suit Box with carry handle with text,'The Millerzeal Exclusive Suit'. Includes a photograph of the Millers Tuam Street store.