160 years of inspiring moments – Stockmann opens a touring history exhibition in its department stores
Stockmann is opening a touring exhibition to celebrate its 160th anniversary. The exhibition showcases highlights, unforgettable encounters and shared moments from Stockmann’s history. Stockmann, a major brand and iconic department store in Finland and the Baltic countries, celebrated its 160th anniversary on 1 February 2022. The history exhibition will be opened at the Helsinki city centre department store on 10 June 2022. The exhibition will then go on to tour all the Stockmann department stores in Finland and the Baltic countries during 2022.
During this special year, Stockmann invites all its customers and local residents to visit and be inspired by its department stores and the unique touring history exhibition. The exhibition features fascinating details and stories from past decades, beginning with the 1860s.
Over the decades, Stockmann has seen society thrive and undergo many changes and challenges. The company has developed from a brick-and-mortar store into an iconic brand, fashion house and corporate group loved by the Finns and later also by Baltic customers.
“Over the course of 160 years, Stockmann has seen and experienced a great deal with its customers. We have looked into the future, experienced historic events and kept up with the times. Our anniversary exhibition features unique, historic and very valuable items and the stories behind them. It sheds light on the decades of our existence,” says Tia Rantanen, Chief Marketing Officer at Stockmann.
The king’s table and an X-ray device for feet
Stockmann’s story began in the Lampa building by the Market Square in Helsinki in 1862. The large department store on Aleksanterinkatu was completed in 1930. This architectonically significant building was inspired by leading European department stores. It reflected a new era through technology and progress. The department store had a paternoster lift, escalators and sprinklers, for example.
“The exhibition features valuable objects from the Stockmann Museum from a period of 160 years, such as the bicycle of Karl Stockmann, the son of the founder of Stockmann, from the 1880s. There is also an X-ray device for feet, which was used in the department store in the 1930s to find the right type of shoes for customers. We also have a small table that is believed to have been made for the future king of Finland and that was on sale at the Stockmann antiques centre in the spring of 1920. Because Finland never became a monarchy, we still have this table,” says Kea Soza, Exhibition Content Curator at Stockmann.
The history exhibition will open at the Helsinki city centre department store on Friday 10 June 2022 at 10 am. In addition to the historical objects, the anniversary exhibition in the centre of Helsinki will feature a touring photography exhibition. The items will be on display at the Helsinki city centre department store (8th floor) until the end of 2022. After Helsinki city centre, the touring photography exhibition will be on display in Vantaa (Jumbo), Helsinki (Itäkeskus), Espoo (Tapiola), Turku and Tampere. It will return to Helsinki city centre towards the end of the year. In addition, separate photography exhibitions will be on display in Tallinn and Riga. For more information, please visit stockmann.com/160.
Further information:
Kea Soza, Content Curator and Producer, Stockmann, tel. +358 50 593 2294, kea.soza@stockmann.com
Stockmann Media Desk, tel. +358 50 389 0011, info@stockmann.com
Stockmann offers a varied and high-quality selection of fashion, beauty and home products for those seeking enrichment of their daily lives and special occasions. We inspire our customers to make sustainable and responsible choices. Stockmann has a total of eight department stores in Finland and the Baltic countries, in addition to its online store at stockmann.com. For more information, please visit stockmanngroup.com.
