• In the 175th anniversary of Boots, the portrait of the incredible Florence Boot has been put on display at the National Portrait Gallery, available for the public to view for the first time

Boots has celebrated the unveiling of the portrait of Florence Boot at the National Portrait Gallery, London.

The portrait was previously hung at Lenton House, part of the Boots head office in Nottingham. It now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery’s Victorian Galleries, on public display for the very first time.

Florence Boot, Lady Trent (1863–1952) of Nottingham, partnered with her husband, Jesse Boot, 1st Baron Trent (1850 –1931), in the running of Boots after their marriage in 1886. She was responsible for diversifying Boots’ retail offering to include toiletries, perfume, and other products for women. She also promoted employee welfare, especially for female team members.

A special event was hosted by Boots and Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) at the National Portrait Gallery last night (26 November 2024) to celebrate Florence’s incredible legacy. The event was attended by Stefano Pessina, WBA Executive Chairman; Ornella Barra, WBA International Chief Operating Officer; Anthony Hemmerdinger, Boots Managing Director, and members of the Boots executive team.

They were joined by members of the National Portrait Gallery team, Florence Boot’s descendants, alongside Boots brand partners and representatives from the retail and beauty industry, among other guests.

Ornella Barra told guests: “Florence has been a phenomenal, inspirational, example for businesswomen. She definitely was ahead of her times. The importance of combining health and beauty – an idea common today – was truly revolutionary a century ago. She was also a businesswoman that did a lot for her people, taking personal responsibility for promoting the health, welfare and education of Boots team members, particularly women.”

Anthony Hemmerdinger said at the event: “This year marks the 175^th anniversary of Boots. Most of us know the story of Jesse Boot – son of founder John Boot who expanded the business into Britain’s biggest pharmacy chain, or Boots Cash Chemists.

“Fewer people know the extraordinary story of his wife and business partner, Florence. Or as we know her, the woman who brought beauty to Boots. Her role is of equal importance to her husband’s in the creation of Boots as you know us today.

“At Boots she brought new ideas to the business. Most famously she brought beauty, fragrance, and gifts to our stores alongside other products for women shoppers. 

“She also introduced new retail concepts and formats to our stores, starting with the first Boots department store in Nottingham’s Pelham Street. Her ambition extended to beauty counters, in-store cafés and even lending libraries.

“What inspires me so much about Florence is her relentless focus on the in-store customer experience, which stays with us today as we continue to introduce new health and beauty concepts and products that our customers will love.”

Sophie Clapp, Boots Archivist, spoke to guests in more detail about the legacy Florence has left both to Boots and to British society. She said:

“Florence lived during a time when women were not given the centre stage, particularly in the business world. Yet her achievements, values, and philanthropy, even by today’s standards, were remarkable and her contribution to Boots and the communities in which she lived can still be felt.

“Florence had a somewhat unexceptional start in life. She was born at home in St Helier, the third of four children to William and Margaret Rowe. She left school at 14 and worked in her father’s book and stationery shop on Queen’s Street – a site which has been a Boots store since 1896. 

“Florence worked alongside her father until at the age of 23, she married Jesse and swapped Rowe’s store for Boots. When Florence first met Jesse, he was on the point of selling the company due to ill-health. Florence’s support and encouragement persuaded him to carry on and so I think it is fair to say that without her, the Boots that we know today, would never have existed. 

“Just two years after their marriage, Jesse and Florence opened a newly refurbished shop in Nottingham. It was ready just in time for the festive trade and only about four weeks before Florence gave birth to her first child, John.

“Florence took Boots’ small selection of toiletry items and repositioned them into a dedicated beauty department. This elegant and prominent new section was in stark contrast to other stores. Beauty items were generally a hidden secret, kept under counters in accordance with the social sensibilities of the day, when wearing cosmetics was frowned upon. Florence openly displayed Boots beauty products, making them visible, affordable, respectable and desirable.

“Motherhood didn’t slow Florence down, she worked as many hours as Jesse building up the business, travelling abroad to source new products and recruiting all the female employees based in Nottingham.

“Her entrepreneurial expansion into gifts, decorative household items, artistic materials and luggage saw Boots develop much larger stores, giving industrial workers the opportunity to enjoy, perhaps for the first time, department store shopping.  

“As well as making Boots a destination for beauty, Florence’s new services proved particularly popular with female customers – the libraries and cafes provided social spaces for women, when there were few welcoming places for them.

“As well as elevating the store environment, Florence also sought to raise the status of retail work for women – which was largely regarded as unsuitable employment for them. She publicly supported the right of women to seek independence, earn their own money and to have an outlet for their creativity.  Florence put her words into action and employed women as university graduates, nurses, pharmacists, librarians, and café managers – giving them roles of responsibility several years before only some women were given the right to vote.

“Most of the thousands of women that worked for Boot were in the factories, warehouses and offices in Nottingham. Florence felt a personal responsibility to ensure their physical and moral wellbeing. She referred to them as ‘her girls’ and most of them were exactly that – just girls – on account of the early school leaving age.

“At a time when state welfare was non-existent, Florence introduced initiatives which provided holistic care, creating opportunities for them to travel, learn new skills and socialise with each other. She openly acknowledged her own lack of formal education yet championed educational opportunities for ‘her girls’ to help them reach their full potential.

“By the time Florence retired in 1920, a culture of care and support was firmly in place with female managers and qualified nurses providing maternal guidance and supervision. 

“Far from fading into peaceful obscurity upon retirement, Florence remained an active force for good.  She generously donated to local causes such as social housing, she gifted green, outdoor community spaces for sport and recreation, supported the arts and funded the first hall of residence for women at the University of Nottingham – a facility which still bears her name today.

“Florence’s portrait, which we believe was painted to mark her promotion to the board of directors in 1917, has long-been on display at Lenton House in Nottingham, the former family home of her son John and now a company hospitality venue. It was prominently hung in the boardroom, where her image motivated and perhaps kept an eye on those working there. Hopefully, now in its new home, here in this much-loved institution, Florence will inspire new audiences unfamiliar with her story.

“Florence was born and raised in the Victorian era, but her progressive social values belonged much more to the 20th century.”