Like a lot of the Great British High Street, HMV are having a few dog days at the moment. While their future may be uncertain, HMV – the Oxford Street branch in particular – will forever have a piece of my heart. When I was younger, I would peruse the sparkly and bustling aisles of CDs after spending Saturdays in theatre school. I would imagine that my face would one day replace the CD covers of Lenny Kravitz, No Doubt, Alison Krauss, and Missy Elliott (all stars that the store introduced me to). While that dream may no longer be a likelihood, these photos of HMV Oxford Street in the 1950s will forever encapsulate that fragment of wonderment and importance for me.
