Just for a day, an "Apple Store" showed off neither phones nor computers but actual Apples.
To celebrate its 1,000th anniversary last month, London's Borough Market turned a section of its indoor shopping hall into a display of 1,000 different apple varieties. The exhibition also marked the market's “Apple Day," a festival honoring the end of the harvest. It was up for just one day, on October 26.
The display, called a "Real Apple Store," was built in the style of an Apple retail store, including a glass storefront with a familiar-looking white logo:
The front window displayed a white vinyl decal
Inside were long, rectangular tables with rows of products -- in this case, apples.
The installation displayed 1,000 different apples
“This country’s love affair with the apple is no secret -- we have been eating apples for centuries," David Matchett, market development manager at Borough Market, wrote in a statement. "However, there are some varieties under threat and we risk losing the diversity of this delicious fruit."
Each apple had its own stand and placard
There was a special display for one of the world's oldest-known apple varieties, Court Pendu Plat. Every apple variety displayed had a placard about its history and flavor, including obscure varieties such as the aptly named Knobby Russet:
This apple may look irregular, but it is edible
The market commissioned communications agency Tin Man and events company Teamtime Production to create the installation. The project took a couple of weeks of planning and 48 hours to install, a representative for Tin Man told The Huffington Post.
The exhibition drew 1,200 visitors
The Apple Store's design is trademarked. Tin Man didn't contact Apple about the project. But the market did not sell anything in the display and did not claim to be affiliated with Apple.
"We wanted to celebrate the traditional Apple Day in a fun, innovative and modern way. The Real Apple Store is a light-hearted tribute to an iconic 21st century brand," a Tin Man representative told The Huffington Post in a statement. "This was a non-commercial exhibition, free for the public to attend and open for one day only."
Apple declined to comment on the installation.
One wall featured a giant display of apples
The "Real Apple Store" didn't sell any products
Update: This story has been updated to include a new comment from Tin Man about the nature of the event.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.