Summary

Black and white photograph featuring the interior of Jas Feeney's Corner Store, on Pearson Street in Brunswick West, circa 1937. At right is the owner, Jas Feeney. The other two staff are Ken Knokes and Molly Feeney. Jas was born near Bright, his parents were Irish migrants. Jas had the shop built himself and ran it from 1908 until he retired in1950.

Jas Feeney's Corner Store was a mixed business, mainly selling groceries. His family remembers 'He used to buy butter in bulk and cut it himself on a marble bench behind the desk. The shop had a cellar where he kept his stores.The shop was connected to the family house which was a big Federation house on a double block.

Jas' daughters, Ineen and Molly Feeney served in the store, as did his son Jim, whose occupation, when enlisting in AIF in 1940, was "grocer". According to Jim Feeney - "All the children worked in the shop - at various times for various periods" (06.04.2012).

Jim worked in the shop on a full time basis from leaving school in 1935 until enlisting in the AIF (January 1940) and from discharge from the AIF (late 1945) until the shop was sold in 1950. His wife, Lorna, also worked in the shop from her marriage in 1944 until 1949. She was asked by the family to leave her job at the State Savings Bank of Victoria to assist with the business.

This photograph was taken by a street photographer. 'He used to come in regularly and ask if they wanted their photograph taken. Often they'd say no, but in this case they said yes and he turned up a week later with the photographs mounted on card. The shop is still there, an empty shell used by artists as a painting space.' To the right of the picture, there is a case with an angled, hinged top where Jas Feeney kept the sweets, which his grandson still remembers vividly (06.04.2012).

Photograph collected as part of Melbourne's Biggest Family Album in 2006.

Description of Content

Store owner, Jas Feeney (wearing glasses), with Ken Knokes and Molly Feeney at work in Jas' general store. The counter has a range of packaged produce sitting on it, and the shelves behind are full of bottles, jars and packets of food and other products. The store has many advertising signs - they are on the shelves, on top and on the front of the counter, and free-standing on the floor. For example, to the left there is a cardboard cut out of a woman advertising 'Corn Flakes'. Brands include Velvet soap, Birmacley margarine, McAlpins flour, Horlicks, Nugget shoe polish, and Kellogs corn flakes.

Physical Description

Digital image file. A digital photograph was taken of the original black and white print.

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