Hi not logged in for a while, hope everyone is keeping well. Been tremendously busy photographing and cataloging my own collection and still a way to go. Need help on a London Wig and Theatrical Supplier, I can find almost nothing on them. J.H. Spanns Had commercial premises/shop front located at 7 Lisle Street, WC2. Found a photo of the shop dated 1949, prior to this the premises was occupied by a company called " Bioscope Film and Supply Company, this was in 1915, but are not related I don't think. So between those two dates although the company could have been trading elsewhere. Does any one know of J.H. Spanns, Circa would be good and when they stopped trading?
Your search might be more fruitful if you search under 'J.H. Spaans' (with two 'a's and one 'n'). I found a wig box with that address on etsy, dated 1930s, an undated wig in the National Trust collection (no date but seems to have some age) and a 1960 programme that mentions them at the Lisle St address (see pdf here). I found a bunch of other links too: I recommend you try another search and see if you can find what you're looking for. Nicole
Thanks Nicole, I had found the links you mentioned, it's where I got most of what info I had came from. The other links you mention I had delved into some to see if I could get a lead but came up empty. The Spanns name while a little unusual in this country is a popular name in the Netherlands regions and the other links you mentioned link to those Spanns in the chemical and scientific community. I was hoping someone might tell me what the J and the H stood for. Again I took some pot shots at popular Dutch first names--nothing. I went boggled eyed searching a few phone directories, finding the address was not difficult but can't find any info/links when they were first established, in fact anything on who they were accept for the info in my and your posts. The premises its self has a minor role in our history but Spanns probably held a lease only. Hair pieces/wigs of theirs are held in private collections and some museums but no info at least none I found. Thanks for the link to the Panto' program, so they were still around in the early 60s, good to know. Further links or info would be appreciated from members.
Hi there, I've been doing some research and came across this thread. JH Spaans was my grandfather, the JH stands for John Henry, he was named after his father Jan Hendrik who was from Rotterdam. Any information you have would be most grateful. If you have any questions I'll try and answer them the best I can. Thank you, Gemma
