A Brief History of our Shop
Founder Joseph Zahringer left Germany to become an Apprentice Clock and Watchmaker in Wotton-under-Edge.
After completing his apprenticeship in 1889 he moved to Kingswood, Bristol, where he married a local girl, Thirza Denning.
In 1890 they opened J.A.Zahringer’s on Regent Street, in the very location that we occupy today.
Over the following years they had seven children. With the eldest son Cecil and youngest son Reginald joining the business as they became old enough. Thirza continued running the Business with her two sons after Joseph passed away in 1932.
Thirza died in 1950 leaving Cecil and Reginald to run the shop. Reginald’s son Paul joined the business in 1963 with two more brothers joining later; Tim in 1973 and Andrew in 1976.
These two pictures were taken inside the shop in around 1979.
This picure shows how the shop looked in around 1980 when Paul decided to increase the Table and Giftware ranges by purchasing the shop next door, gaining extra floor space.
As the Giftware ranges grew, thoughts of expanding arose again. With the appropriate planning permission sought and approved, the upstairs floors were turned into additional gift showrooms.
The Marble facade was fitted in 1992, bringing both the shops together as can be seen today.
J.A.Zahringer has continued to pride itself in personal family service.