The more things change, the more they stay the same – or at least, that’s the word on The Street.
Conceived by McManus Galleries museum services manager Gareth Jackson-Hunt and put together with the help of Dundee Rep, The Street is the Dundee museum’s newest “old” exhibition.
And after almost three years in the making, the anticipated attraction will finally open to the public next week on November 13.
The immersive installation will allow visitors to take a literal stroll down memory lane, with life-size recreations of Dundee shopfronts through the ages, including Draffen’s department store and Potter’s shoe shop.
But the stars of the show will be McManus visitor favourites, ‘The Bar’ and ‘The Shop’, which populated the museum’s foyer for more than 20 years before its major renovation.
Out with the new, in with the old
“The whole premise behind this was to try and get the Shop and the Bar back out, which were firm favourites for everyone from the old McManus,” explains Gareth as we walk through what will soon become the finished Street.
“Rather than just putting the Shop and the Bar back out, we came up with the idea of recreating a street. It’s no particular street, which is why we’ve called it The Street.”
The Shop and Bar will both be open to the public, with visitors able to walk in and browse in a William-Lowe’s-type Victorian grocers, or even prop up one of Dundee’s oldest bars.
“Historically, the bar was made of part of the old Toll bar, which was in Lochee, and the John O’ Groats, which was on Cowgate,” Gareth tells me. “So we’ve taken the decision to call it the John O’ Groats.”
Though, he points out, some Dundonians may remember the Cowgate watering hole by its nickname – “The Heaven and Hell”, a moniker given due to the bar’s presence underneath the Wishart Memorial Church, where famous missionary Mary Slessor worshipped.
Stroll down memory lane
Constructed now 40 years after the original 1980 show that the Shop and Bar dioramas were built for, 150 Years of Retail and Brewing in Dundee, The Street’s shopfronts will contain objects spanning nearly two centuries, creating rich potential for nostalgia and family recollections.
“You’re going to see things from the early Victorian era right through to the modern day,” enthuses Gareth.
“So we’ve got cans with Tennent’s Lovelies on them, we’ve got the new Dundee Gin in the bar, as well as old gin bottles and some favourites.
“It’s all very twee, but it’s like taking a walk down memory lane. So we’re kind of hoping that people are going to enjoy being there with their families, remembering objects that they – or their grannies – might have had or played with as a child.”
Paving way to a brighter future?
With 3m tall shopfronts designed by Dundee Rep’s set design team, The Street is a dream brought to life for Gareth, who worked to keep the project going even as the museum faced massive challenges during the 2020 lockdowns.
“I came up with the idea about two and a half years ago,” he explains.
“I worked throughout the pandemic, from home, as one of the key workers keeping the museum service running. So I picked away at it from home, and then it was only when we were allowed back into the building that we started selecting objects.
“Essentially, my mind was put to pen and paper, and we approached the Rep to work in partnership with us. So they’ve been a key player in all of this – the build has been made by them.
“From a city recovery perspective, the McManus and the Rep working together, two cultural institutions making something for the people of Dundee, I think, is great.
“And it’s one of the most beautiful living sets I’ve ever seen.”
Transported back in time
Indeed, The Street is stunning. With hand-painted signs and familiar Dundee landmarks – the building which now houses Tony Macaroni is particularly recognisable – walking into the exhibition is like being transported back in time.
As a human race, we’re really good at reinventing and rising from the ashes.”
Gareth Jackson-Hunt, McManus museum services manager
And although the shops on this Street are very different to the ones on the city centre’s streets outside, Gareth reckons the post-pandemic timing of the exhibition means it shows optimism for Dundee’s future as well as casting a rosy look at the city’s bygone eras.
“The Street has come at an amazing time,” he says.
“When I was initially putting it together, I wanted it to be totally Dundee-centric. But it’s also come now at the other side of a pandemic, where people are itching for culture.
“It’s highlighting the changing nature of the high street, yes. Obviously we all knew that online shopping was coming, but the pandemic’s really accelerated that, and we’ve lost Debenhams and Topshop and some of the other big, high-street names. But that’s nothing unusual.”
Far from the familiar doom-and-gloom rhetoric surrounding high street closures, history buff Gareth sees them as a natural part of a city’s cultural cycle – an evolution, rather than an extinction.
“Before, we lost Draffens, and DM Browns, and The Corner. So we’re kind of used to it – the high street reinvents itself,” he goes one.
“And this exhibition explores that a little bit, and draws some comparisons.”
Deliveroo from a century ago
“For example, we’ve got a beautiful story of a man at the turn of the century who had to deliver an egg to a lady who was baking a pudding. Now, we laugh at seeing all the Deliveroo people dropping off takeaways to folk who can’t be bothered leaving the house. But this was happening 100 years ago – it’s nothing new!
“As a human race, we’re really good at reinventing and rising from the ashes.”
Perhaps rather than cementing a route down memory lane, The Street can illuminate a roadmap to the future?
And if nothing else, it looks like brilliant fun – and a larger than life heritage trip for little ones.
“From my perspective, every time I walk into the gallery, I have this overwhelming sense of: “Oh, it’s massive!” So I’m hoping when kids walk in, it’ll be really exciting for them,” smiles Gavin.
“I’m hoping that over Christmas, we can drop in some of the festive objects too – so we’ll have a bit of a Christmas sparkle!”