Harry Gordon Selfridge, nicknamed ‘Mile a Minute Harry’, brought American ideas on commerce and advertising to the British retail business. His vast Emporium in Oxford Street, with a domed tower designed by Sir John Burnet, providing a landmark to shoppers, was, when built, the largest in England and was enlarged over the following twenty years.
Brangwyn was commissioned to design a decoration for the interior of the dome which was 70ft in diameter, the crown of dome being 130ft above ground. He was paid an advance of £750 on a fee of £3000.
At one stage the LCC banned all luxury buildings which included the Selfridge extension but it was decided to carry on anyway – after all money talks. The work was to be in tempera but the lack of a studio large enough and lack of materials caused Brangwyn to suggest mosaic instead.
Brangwyn had a model of the dome in his studio. Colours to be used were pale blue, pale green, silvery white and rose. He told a friend that he couldn’t work out the measurements but finally got a Frenchman to sort out the maths for him. The subject was ‘Trade of the World’ and each figure measured 16 or 17ft high.
Brangwyn designed the top of the dome as an inverted globe upon which he noted various countries, together with flora and fauna of those areas. The lower parts were filled with people and traders – Phoenicians, Greece, Venice and Modern trading – all to 1inch scale. The majority of the figures were recycled from older drawings, often those made for other commissions and not used.
Unfortunately the murals were never executed because the LCC feared that the excessive weight might damage the underground railway.