Harry Wilson

Harry Wilson of Leeds. Architect to Burtons the Tailors

Burtons was one of the first chain stores, specialising in formal clothes for men. With branches spreading across the country, initially existing shops were converted; but by the mid-1920s they were purpose built in a distinctive Burtons house style, designed by the Leeds architect Harry Wilson. There was a strong preference for corner sites, and adjoining properties would be acquired gradually for redevelopment into larger stores. The characteristics of Burtons buildings included narrow vertical bays containing steel framed windows divided by pilasters, with moulded cast metal panels used to mask floor levels. Both Art Deco and classical motifs can be found while an Egyptian style is also discernible in the narrow pilasters with scrolled capitals.