Documents discovered in former Rushworths building donated to University

Robin Makin and Nicholas Wong with the documents discovered in a safe Business documents discovered in the former Rushworths building in Whitechapel have been donated to the University of Liverpool's research project into the business. The documents, which include old ledgers and business records from the late 1950s to the mid 1980s, were discovered in a safe on the top floor of the building when Liverpool solicitors, E. Rex Makin & Co, relocated. They have been donated to the University's School of Music which is conducting a three-year research project to record the history of Liverpool's long established and largest music business. Rushworths was founded in 1828 by William Rushworth as an organ building business before quickly branching out into selling musical instruments. It became one of the largest organ builders in the UK and made organs for many churches, cathedrals and halls in Liverpool, the UK and overseas. In 1960 the retail business moved from Islington to Whitechapel and became the `largest music house in Europe' comprising five sales floors of musical instruments, televisions, record players and household appliances as well as sheet music and records. Rushworths has a strong association with Liverpool's long and rich music tradition, in particular with the Merseybeat scene of the early 1960s and the Beatles.