Shippam's

We have been awarded a grant of £44,593 from Arts Council England to unlock the advertising archive of the former local family-run business, Shippam's, in an exciting project which will culminate in an exhibition in 2025.

Established in 1786, Shippam's was a beloved employer in Chichester, whose success and popularity spread worldwide. Through digitisation, oral histories, a public engagement programme and a headline exhibition, the project will explore how family and community shaped one of the best loved brands of the 20^th century.

As well as being one of the leading businesses of its time to use television advertising, Shippam's was also a prominent local asset, opening their doors to members of the community and providing rich engagement programmes for their staff and families.  Employees often joined the company straight out of school, and stayed for the duration of their working lives. One generation would follow another, their experience and knowledge being vital to the company's success.

1974 marked the end of an era for Shippam's, when the former family run business was acquired by the William Underwood Company. Princes, who acquired the company in 2001, took the decision to close the East Street Walls factory, but the factory façade and silver wishbone were retained and can still be seen to this day. 

We'll be working together with the local community to explore themes of community, family, sustainability, and identity within the company. The project will record oral histories with ex-employees, family members and the local community to share their lived experience.

We've also recruited local volunteers to catalogue, re-pack and digitise the Shippam's collection, which consists of over 700 items from the company's iconic advertising archive, hundreds of photographs, ephemera and objects relating to life in the factory, and archaeology recovered from an excavation of the old factory site in 2005.

The exhibition will anchor the important collection within Chichester District's community. New research will be made available through a central hub that links the Shippams collections held at The Novium Museum, West Sussex Record Office, and Screen Archive Southeast.

Jim Shippam, former Chairman and Chief Executive of Shippam's, says: 'I am delighted that this project has been made possible, with thanks to the generous support from Arts Council England. Cataloguing and researching the Shippam's advertising archive, alongside conducting an oral history project, will provide a valuable resource for the public and will ensure the unique story of Shippam's is preserved for future generations.'

We'll be adding to this page throughout the project with updates, blog posts, events and other related information.