Talk:Harry A. Badman & Co.

Founding date

User:Siam Fan, the Silpa Wattanatham and Sense & Scene sources give B.E. 2422 as the founding year of the business. Is there something in the Bangkok Times articles that make clear that it's incorrect? Twentieth Century Impressions of Siam states 1884 as the date of establishment of the original store, but also mentions that they'd been in business for over a quarter of a century, which would mean before 1883. My guess is that they'd been in business since 1879, before the store was opened in 1884. --Paul_012 (talk) 08:45, 25 May 2023 (UTC)

User:Paul_012, please find below an extract of the article found on page 5 of the Bangkok Times issued on Friday, 6th December 1907:

"The House of Badman --- The opening of the handsome new premises of Messrs. Harry A. Badman and Co. yesterday by His Majesty was a big honour to a firm which has for many years carried on an extensive trade in Bangkok, more particularly amongst the Siamese. The store was one of the earliest to be opened in the country. Mr. Badman first came out to Bangkok early in 1884. With Mr. Hooker as his assistant, he began business in March of that year in premises measuring about 50 x 24 feet. As the business grew the adjoining premises were absorbed, and in 1889 Mr Badman went home. In 1892 Mr. Hooker was admitted to partnership. Then Mr. C.S. George joined the firm and in 1897 became a partner. Ten prosperous years followed and the premises became too small to successfully cope with the business being done, and the present handsome building in the Rajadamnern Road was erected. Last February Mr. George ceased to be a partner and at present Mr. Hooker remains sole partner. Probably, however, next year some members of the existing staff will be taken into partnership. [...]" Siam Fan (talk) 16:46, 25 May 2023 (UTC)

Thanks for providing the quote. It does indicate the date rather clearly, though the description is not entirely accurate as Badman was in Bangkok before, as assistant (and later partner) of Ramsay, Wakefield & Co. since at least 1876.[1] It's still unclear where the 1879 date came from; perhaps it was when Badman became a partner of Ramsey's? Perusing the annual business directories could shed some further light on this, but it's not a research topic I'm going to take on just yet. For now let's just leave the founding date at 1884. --Paul_012 (talk) 09:26, 26 May 2023 (UTC)

Harry A. Badman can be found in NewspaperSG in an article issued on 5 September 1874: https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/stoverland18740905-1.2.5?ST=1&AT=search&k=badman&SortBy=Oldest&filterS=0&Display=0&QT=badman&oref=article He's mentioned as passenger "H. A. Badman" of a steamer coming from Calcutta and arriving in Singapore on 22 August 1874. As to the confirmation of when he sailed to Bangkok, it cannot be found. If only the Siam Weekly Advertiser newspaper (1869-1886) was more readable online and the text searchable through keywords this piece of information might be found in the passengers manifest published in that paper: https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/sean/?a=p&p=publication&sp=smwa It might also be found in the Bangkok Times (1887-1942) which is not available online though. Siam Fan (talk) 16:21, 26 May 2023 (UTC)

Source

Badman's and other stores from the period are covered to some depth in this research paper (in Thai). --Paul_012 (talk) 09:32, 26 May 2023 (UTC)

• All Things Western: Fashionable identity of the Early Modern Thai Elites