‘The University at War’ – new exhibition opens on 9th May
Published On Wed 6 May 2015 by Grant Hill
A new exhibition exploring the effect the First World War had on the institution that became the University of Dundee opens this weekend.
‘The University at War’ tells the stories of staff and students from what was then University College Dundee who fought on the front line, or undertook important wartime research. The exhibition, which opens at the Tower Foyer Gallery on Saturday, 9th May, also describes the effects of the war on those who stayed in Dundee to continue their studies and reveals the names of students and staff who perished but who were not commemorated in the University’s official war memorial.
Curator Matthew Jarron explained, “Many students enlisted either to fight or – in the case of some female students – to join organisations like the Scottish Women’s Hospitals. Several staff went overseas as well, but some remained in Britain and undertook important war work, such as Angus Fulton investigating mechanical faults in aircraft, or Doris Mackinnon trying to prevent soldiers suffering from amoebic dysentery.”
The exhibition is illustrated with photographs, documents and objects from the University’s archive and museum collections. Official records, student magazines and correspondence helps demonstrate how the war impacted on students and staff and to commemorate the losses and sacrifices made.
Some of the stories told in the exhibition belong to people whose names appear on the University war memorial. However, new research by Dr Kenneth Baxter of the University Archives has revealed many more former staff and students lost their lives but whose names are not recorded on the memorial.
“There are 37 names on the original memorial,” explains Kenneth, “but we have found a further 31 individuals who should be commemorated for their sacrifice. This exhibition tells some of their stories as well.”
As well as University College Dundee, the exhibition also looks at staff and students from the following institutions:
- The Conjoint Medical School – affiliated to University College Dundee (UCD) but jointly run with the University of St Andrews and Dundee Royal Infirmary
- The Dundee Dental Hospital & School – founded during the war and affiliated to UCD
- Dundee School of Art – then part of Dundee Technical College but now Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design
- Dundee Training College – then a separate institution but sharing both staff and students with UCD. It is now the University’s School of Education, Social Work & Community Education
The exhibition runs until 20th June and is open from 9.30am-8.30pm on weekdays and from 9.30am-4.30pm each Saturday.
For further information, contact 01382 384310 or museum@dundee.ac.uk
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Grant Hill
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