Verdant Works

I do recall from long ago geography lessons at school in Alloa that Dundee = jute (and jam and DC Thomson the publisher of "The Broons and "Oor Wullie").

The jute industry has long gone, but this brilliant museum makes it live again.

Besides the surprisingly interesting info about the process itself, there is a moving section on the social history of the area at that time and the jute workers. I was horrified to read that life expectancy for men was 33, most children and adults were undernourished and adults rarely grew above 5 feet tall. Babies were often fed on bread mashed in water with milk and sugar if available. Housing was grossly overcrowded with no sanitation. Not surprisingly, infant mortality was high, largely due to diseases such as diphtheria, typhoid etc. Alcoholism was a major problem and prompted the rise of the temperance movement.

The owners, meanwhile, lived in mansions. Nuff said.