Jacksons Department Store Lamsons Cash Terminal

Mid-20th century

This is Terminal Number One from the dance wear department at Jacksons. In total there were nine terminals or 'Cash Stations' at Jacksons. It is known as an 'Up-discharge' terminal as the cash carrier enters the terminal by going up the tube, due to the suction in the pipe. In the cash office, when staff were slow in sending back the customer's change the sales assistant could bang on the terminal door which vibrated the air back along the pipe to the cash office, causing much noise and upset the office staff!

Edward Jackson established a clothing retail and wholesale business in 1875. As his shop expanded, the corner of the High Street and King's Road became known as Jacksons Corner. In the 1950s the shop was refurbished and expanded, creating the store that customers could see until it closed in December 2013. It was well known for its beautifully made wooden fittings and the pneumatic tube system that handled cash throughout the store right up to its last day of trading.

A unique feature of Jacksons was the pneumatic tube system used to handle cash throughout the store. This was designed and fitted by Lamsons in the late 1940s and upgraded in the 1960s. An air blower in the basement propelled these cash carriers along tubes between the shop departments and the central cash desk.

Museum object number REDMG : 2015.15.1

height 305 mm, width 355 mm, depth 165 mmheight 850 mm, width 400 mm, depth 187 mm