The Bílá Labuť Department Store

The film footage features the construction and subsequent opening of the Bílá labuť (lit. White Swan) department store's functionalist building, which was designed by architects Josef Kittrich and Josef Hrubý and built on Na Poříčí Street. The segment opens with a panoramic view of Petrská čtvrť, overhead shots of the street traffic on Na Poříčí Street, and shots of the buildings of the former inn and brewery U Bílé Labutě, before and after demolition. Construction workers are clearing debris after the demolition. Different stages of construction are shown next, alongside interior shots from the various stores in the almost completed department store. Shots from the opening ceremony on 18 March 1939. Crowds of customers pour inside. An instructor assists them in using the first escalator in Central Europe. Demonstrations of the in-house pneumatic tube transport system. Customers shop at the men's haberdasher's, the carpet department, and make use of the buffet and the café. Children play in the play area.