Powerful evidence that Dundee's history is much more positive and complex than the bleak image usually portrayed, will be published for the first time this month by university historians. Following a three year in-depth project which has combed a huge range of sources including poetry, contemporary writing, visual records, and buildings which survive today as well as the more traditional sources, the researchers from the department of history tell the story of the city during its heyday when contemporaries were struck by its energy, optimism and commitment to social provision. Their findings are published in a new, lavishly illustrated book, Victorian Dundee: Image and Realities, edited by Louise Miskell, Professor Christopher Whatley and Bob Harris. Says Professor Whatley: "The traditional image only conveys part of what was a much more complex and interesting picture. "We have uncovered powerful evidence of a city which experienced decades of expansion based on linen production which resulted in remarkable displays of civic pride, indicative of an industrial community largely in harmony with itself. As jute replaced linen as the town's staple, immense investment was directed not only into mills and factories - some of which were the largest in the world - but also into grand mansions, parks and other forms of civic embellishment. It was only later in the nineteenth century that Dundee began to sink into the economic and social malaise which would affect it for much of the twentieth century. But even so, the city produced some remarkable individuals who responded to the challenges of the time - in social work, through the efforts of Mary Lily Walker of Dundee Social Union, and in urban planning, those of James Thompson, the visionary city engineer." Initial funding for the History of Dundee project on which the book is based was provided the university's strategic initiatives fund. Although mainly historical, the book is also enriched by the work of art and architectural historians, Professors Murdo MacDonald and Charles McKean. Based almost entirely on contributions from history staff, the book also includes chapters by three of the department's former postgraduates. Victorian Dundee: Images and Realities is published by Tuckwell Press at £14.99 and will be launched in the Institute of Lifelong Learning (1st floor Tower Building) on 7 December from 6-8pm.
Dundee's history rewritten and launched 
Next Page
Return to December/January 2000/1 Contact
