History of city shops brought to life in new book by local author Jack

AS the Dundee Christmas shopping frenzy begins, local author Jack Searle has dipped into the city’s rich history of commercial activity and written Counter Revolutionaries, the definitive book on the city’s shops.

Covering everything from the little independent outlets to the grand and luxurious department stores of the Victorian age, Jack’s book takes the reader on a journey which starts in the dim past and has yet to reach its end.

“My book is about how Dundee came to be in its prime and how it has changed since that time,” said Jack.

“In 2012, I completed and published the The Big Picture, a history of cinemas in Dundee.

“At the launch of that book, I was rather surprised by the reaction of those in the audience who had actually worked, in one way or another, in cinemas.

“They clearly felt the book was a much needed recognition of a kind of community whose main aim was to make people happy.

“That started me wondering whether there were other groups whose contribution to the life and times of Dundee had not been given proper recognition — shopping immediately came to mind.”

The book discusses such big names as D.M. Brown, Alexander Caird and Draffens, whilst wellestablished but smaller independent shops such as Cooper & MacKenzie and Braithwaites are also covered.

The book examines the earliest forms of retail but travels on through six chapters to discuss the early modern period, the Georgian and Victorian eras and the early 20th Century.

The second part looks at “Dundee in its prime” and is a detailed examination of the various stores and what was to be found in the streets in Dundee’s retail centre.

Jack with his new book and right, workmen changing the name of D.M. Brown’s to Arnotts.