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The four Dundee women on this panel helped to improve people’s lives in diverse ways  – from healthcare, housing and access to green space, to education and working rights. DUNDEE WOMEN Up Up The Four Marys Women who made a difference The four Dundee women on this panel helped to improve people’s lives in diverse ways – from healthcare, housing and access to green space, to education and working rights. 1. Mary Ann Baxter Philanthropist Mary Ann Baxter (1801-1884) lived and died in Ferry Road, Dundee, and she made it her mission to improve life for Dundee people in quite different ways. Her father was William Baxter, a flax and jute baron who owned Lower Dens Works, and Mary Ann benefited from the family’s fortune. She and her siblings donated Baxter Park to the city in 1863, and she also gave money to several local charities, including the Congregational Mission in Hilltown, the YMCA and the Sailors’ Hall. But perhaps her greatest achievement was the generous funding of what is now the University of Dundee. The university opened in 1883, providing ‘the education for persons of both sexes and the study of science, literature and fine arts’. 2. Mary Slessor Mary Slessor (1848-1915) was born into a poor family in Aberdeen and arrived in Dundee when she was a child. After becoming a skilled jute worker at Baxter’s and attending the old Wishart Church regularly, Mary volunteered to work at the United Presbytery Mission in Calabar, Nigeria and sailed there in 1876. By tending the sick, setting up mission hospitals, fighting for women’s rights and reforming local belief in superstition and human sacrifice, Mary made a huge difference in the communities she served. Unusually, she made the decision to work deep inside the jungle, became fluent in the Efik language and earned the respect of a local chieftain. Recurring illnesses took their toll and Mary died of a fever in 1915, aged just 67. 3. Mary Brooksbank Another mill-worker, Mary Brooksbank (1897-1978) is remembered today as a socialist songwriter and a prominent member of Dundee’s labour movement. She began working when she was just 12, and marched for a pay rise at the age of 14. At 21, Mary decided to join the Communist Party to fight for women’s rights and contribute to the demise of capitalism. Her objective was always to improve workers’ right and she raised awareness of their plight through her contributions to politics, literature and folk music. Indeed, she is celebrated in Dundee as a poet and musican, and many of her songs are still sung – including the most famous: ‘Oh Dear Me (The Jute Mill Song)’ about the life of a young female jute worker. 4. Mary Lily Walker After her mother’s death in 1883, Mary Lily Walker (1863-1913) became one of the University of Dundee’s first female students, studying Latin, Maths, Biology and Chemistry. However, she could not ignore the shocking living conditions around her and when a group of university professors founded the Dundee Social Union, Mary became an early member. Thereafter, she campaigned hard for social change in health and housing, and fought to improve the life chances of women and children in Dundee. A new Women’s Hospital, baby clinics and health visitors, school dinners, children’s convalescent holidays and clubs for all age groups were just some of her achievements. Mary’s memory lives on in the Lily Walker Centre, a 24-hour centre which supports people in Dundee who become homeless. Up Up This panel was stitched by Avis Moore Susan Fraser Yvonne Tweedie

The Dundee Tapestry is a collaborative project which has brought together members of the Dundee community through stitching groups, social networks and in-person events. The result is a fascinating and captivating image of Dundee on 35 beautifully hand-stitched panels. As Dundee looks forward, the Dundee Tapestry reveals the city’s past, present and future through eight illustrative themes. Themes explore the city’s industrial heritage, its creative achievements, its biodiversity and its people. Up Up Introduction The Dundee Tapestry at V&A Dundee The Dundee Tapestry will be on display at V&A Dundee until Sunday 6th April 2025. Come along to see a unique, handcrafted collection of tapestries depicting Dun dee’s past, present, and future, where you can explore the city’s industrial heritage, creative achievements, biodiversity, and people. The Dundee Tapestry As Dundee looks forward, the Dundee Tapestry reveals the city’s past, present and future through eight illustrative themes. From the mid 19th century to where we are now, these themes explore the city’s industrial heritage, its creative achievements, its biodiversity and its people. The Dundee Tapestry is a collaborative project which has brought together members of the Dundee community through stitching groups, social networks and in-person events. The result is a fascinating and captivating image of Dundee on 35 beautifully hand-stitched panels. The project was conceived and developed by John Fyffe MBE of the Weaver Incorporation of Dundee, one of the city’s Nine Incorporated Trades, and Dr Frances Stevenson, senior lecturer at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design. The panels were co-designed by Dr Stevenson and Andrew Crummy MBE, the artist behind the Great Tapestry of Scotland. A stitching team of over 140 volunteer stitchers from Dundee and the surrounding area have been working on the panels since the spring of 2022, and many are practising these skills for the first time. Together, they are collaborating to tell Dundee’s unique story, stitch by stitch. Up Up This panel was stitched by Sandra Allstaff Cath Gardiner Joanna Watson

Many exciting scientific events began in Dundee – from the pioneering Antarctic expeditions of the Royal Research Ship, ‘RRS Discovery’, to the writings of zoologist and university professor Sir D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson. This panel also celebrates important scientific discoveries by people with close links to Dundee. DUNDEE INDUSTRY Up Up Scientific Research Exploring the world in the name of science Many exciting scientific events began in Dundee – from the pioneering Antarctic expeditions of the Royal Research Ship, ‘RRS Discovery’, to the writings of zoologist and university professor Sir D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson. This panel also celebrates important scientific discoveries by people with close links to Dundee. 1. Sir D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson This renowned Scottish zoologist became Professor of Biology at the University of Dundee in 1884, aged just 24. In 1917, when he was working at the University of St Andrews, he wrote an influential book called ‘ On Growth And Form’ which described the diverse patterns that occur in nature. These patterns include snowflakes, honeycomb, and the beautiful snail shells and ammonites depicted on this panel. 2. Williamina Fleming Born in Dundee in 1857, Williamina emigrated to the USA in 1878. She became an astronomer almost by accident, when she was employed at the Harvard College Observatory as an analyst. Williamina measured and recorded the spectral images emitted by stars, via photographic plates, and she gained widespread recognition for her work. She became the leading female astronomer of her day, and was awarded honorary membership of the Royal Astronomical Society of London in 1906. 3. Professor Margaret Fairlie Margaret studied medicine at the University of St Andrews and University College, Dundee, where she graduated during the First World War. After further training in Manchester, she returned to Dundee in 1919 to work in gynaecology and obstetrics. Following a 1926 visit to the Marie Curie Foundation in Paris, Margaret pioneered the use of radium as a cancer treatment in Scotland. She became Scotland’s first female professor in 1940. 4. Peter Carmichael Carmichael invented textile machinery that boosted productivity in Dundee’s linen (flax) industry. 5. RRS ‘ Discovery’ RRS ‘ Discovery’ was the first vessel to be built purely for scientific research, and Dundee’s shipyard was chosen because its builders knew how to construct strong whaling ships that could travel through Arctic pack ice. ‘Discovery’s’ first voyage was to Antarctica from 1901 to 1904. Led by young Captain Robert Falcon Scott RN, the results were groundbreaking: more than five hundred new kinds of marine creatures were discovered and the expedition was the first to sight an Emperor Penguin rookery. ‘Discovery’s’ final voyage as a royal research ship ended in 1931. She served as a Royal Navy training ship in London from 1931 until 1979, and she came home to Dundee in 1986. 6. Discovery Point Discovery Point is a popular attraction near the River Tay, where visitors can find out about RRS ‘Discovery’s’ various expeditions. 7. Thomas MacLagan MacLagan researched the effects of salicin in treating rheumatic fever, which contributed to the development of aspirin. 8. Sir James W Black Serving as Chancellor of the University of Dundee from 1992 to 2006, Sir James was also an eminent pharmacologist who helped to develop two important beta-blocking drugs. These eased the pain of angina (chest pain) and, later, the same approach revolutionised the treatment of stomach ulcers. Sir James was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1988. 9. British Oceanographic Expedition (1925-1927) ‘Discovery’ was designated a Royal Research Ship (RRS) in 1925 when she embarked on the British Oceanographic Expedition to Antarctic waters. The aim of the expedition was to research whale stocks and the migration pattern of whales, and the results were the first step in regulation of the whaling industry. 10. B.A.N.Z.A.R Expedition (1929-1931) RRS ‘Discovery’s’ final voyage to the southern hemisphere was the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (B.A.N.Z.A.R) in 1929. Many new lands were discovered and charted, and a mass of geological and zoological samples was collected on behalf of the British Government. 11. Dundee Island Located on the Antarctic Peninsula, Dundee Island was named after the captain of a 19th century whaling expedition who came from the city. 12. Shipping compass Up Up This panel was stitched by Sandra Allstaff Cath Gardiner

Dundee is better connected than most, serving as a gateway to many other parts of Scotland. Within the city itself, generations of communities have stayed connected to each other in different ways: by road, rail and water; by the places where people regularly meet; and by long-standing customs and traditions. DUNDEE COMMUNITIES Up Up Connecting Communities Transport and traditions that keep communities connected Dundee is better connected than most, serving as a gateway to many other parts of Scotland. Within the city itself, generations of communities have stayed connected to each other in different ways: by road, rail and water; by the places where people regularly meet; and by long-standing customs and traditions. 1. The Dressed Herring When ‘first-footing’ at Hogmanay, 19th century Dundonians brought a good luck herring ‘dressed’ in a fancy outfit and bonnet, usually made from brightly-coloured paper. 2. Finlathen Viaduct Built between 1845 and 1848, this 152m-long structure (now Category ‘B’-listed) carried a water pipeline from Monikie Reservoir to Stobsmuir Water Works in Dundee. 3. The ‘Washie’ When visiting public wash-houses, the women of Dundee often transported their washing in a baby’s pram. 4. Tay Rail Bridge disaster When completed in February 1878, the original Tay Rail Bridge was the world’s longest bridge, with 85 spans and 13 high girders in the centre. When these high girders collapsed in gale-force winds on 28 December 1879, six carriages fell into the water and more than 70 lives were lost. The wrought iron girders which remained standing were transferred onto the present bridge where they are still in use. Today, a memorial can be seen on the Riverside embankment, alongside William McGonagall’s 1880 poem ’ The Tay Bridge Disaster’. 5. Champion the Wonder Horse Remembered by generations who visited the City Arcade in Shore Terrace before its closure in 1981. 6. Mill Lorry Bales of raw jute were transported, by lorry, from the port of Dundee to the city’s mills. 7. Dundee to Newtyle railway In operation from 1831 to 1863, this 11-mile long railway line was built to bring produce from local farms in the Vale of Strathmore to the mills and docks in Dundee. The hills in between (the Sidlaws) were dealt with by using stationary steam-powered engines to pull the coaches uphill by rope. Part of the disused railway line now forms a nature reserve called ‘The Miley’. 8 & 9. Ice cream treats Knickerbocker glories and ice cream wafers were popular treats at Dundee’s Italian cafés and ice-cream shops. 10. H Samuel clock at Duffer’s Corner The meeting place for generations of friends and lovers in Dundee. 11. Bluebird In the 1960s, an outing on a ‘Bluebird Bus’ to Angus, Fife and beyond, was an exciting adventure. 12. The Fifies Once the only way of crossing the River Tay, steam-powered ‘Fifies’ would carry passengers between Dundee, Broughty Ferry and Fife, six days a week and up to 11 crossings a day. The first regular scheduled vessel was ‘ Union’ in 1821, and the last of the Tay Ferries was ‘Scotscraig’. Her final crossing took place on 18 August 1966 – the same day the Tay Road Bridge opened. 13. Dundee Corporation Bus The first corporation ‘omnibuses’ ran from Dundee High Street to Broughty Ferry in 1920, with tickets for the whole journey costing 4d. The original city centre bus station was on Shore Terrace, near Caird Hall, but the bus stances were closed in March 1973 when go-ahead was given for the construction of Tayside House. 14. Dundee Trams The first horse-drawn tram in Dundee appeared in 1877, followed by steam-powered versions ten years later. The final tram ran between Maryfield and Lochee in October 1956. 15. RNLI, Broughty Ferry The RNLI station at Broughty Ferry was the first inshore station in Scotland, and its first lifeboat was placed here in 1859. Seven medals have been awarded to RNLI crew stationed here over the last two centuries, and the lifeboat station remains an important part of this coastal community. Today, two boats are in operation: the “Elizabeth of Glamis’ and ‘Oor Lifesaver’. 16. Fluke fish Nethergait used to be called ‘Flukergait’ after the flounders that were caught in the Tay. 17. Maryfield Tram Depot Proposed as the Dundee Museum of Transport’s new home, the red-bricked tramshed was built in 1901 and extended in 1920 to its current length of 120m. In service, this Category B-listed building could house up to 70 double-decker trams and when buses took over from trams, it served as a bus depot until the 1970s. 18. The Tay Road and Rail Bridges Dundee is synonymous with the River Tay, and is approached by two bridges that connect the city with the Kingdom of Fife. The Tay Road Bridge measures 2.25km long and was built between 1963 and 1966. The ‘new’ Tay Rail Bridge was completed in 1887. Up Up This panel was stitched by June Anderson Aileen Scoular

This panel celebrates the craft of shipbuilding, and looks at the expansion of Dundee’s docks, the wartime experience of ships built in the city, life below deck, women’s role in the shipyards, and how the success of the shipbuilding industry relied on other local trades. DUNDEE INDUSTRY Up Up Shipbuilding NEW FOR 2025 Ships built on the River Tay Dundee has a long history of shipbuilding. The industry began with small wooden fishing boats, then elegant three-masted sailing ships, and continued until the arrival of steam engines and sturdy iron-built vessels. Among the shipyards active along Dundee’s riverside in the 19th and 20th centuries was the Dundee Shipbuilding Company (formerly Alexander Stephen & Sons) which built and launched RRS Discovery in 1901. At their height, the largest shipbuilders would employ many thousands of men and women, in multiple roles. This panel celebrates the craft of shipbuilding, and looks at the expansion of Dundee’s docks, the wartime experience of ships built in the city, life below deck, women’s role in the shipyards, and how the success of the shipbuilding industry relied on other local trades. 1. Forging a trade Shipbuilding gave local people many opportunities to learn a trade – from estimators and engineers to benders, riveters and welders. The city’s largest shipbuilders were Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd which moved production to Dundee in 1842, Gourlay Brothers & Co Ltd which built iron ships between 1854 and 1908, and Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd (originally called W B Thompson and Co Ltd) which merged with Henry Robb of Leith in 1968 to become Robb Caledon Shipbuilders Ltd. During 107 years of operation in Dundee, the Caledon yards built a total of 509 ships, 20 barges and 32 launches, before closing their gates in 1981. Caledon was also commissioned to produce the steel box girders for the Tay Road Bridge and the ‘steel-plate’ houses still seen in the Craigiebank area of the city today. 2. ‘The Caledon Shipyard’ by Francis Rooney Two verses of this poem, by shipyard worker Francis Rooney, describe the tough conditions of a life spent shipbuilding. The final verse of the poem laments the demise of the industry. 3. Ships at war Several Dundee-built vessels were involved in military action. Launched in 1938, Glenearn was requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1939 and was initially purposed as a fast store carrier. In 1940, Glenearn and her sister ship, Glengyle, were converted into infantry assault ships and fitted with landing craft. Within a few months, both ships were involved in the first ever Commando assault and joined Operation Demon, the evacuation of British and Imperial forces from Greece in 1941. The following year, Glengyle, with naval escort, made a successful trip from Alexandria to Malta with much needed supplies of food, fuel and ammunition and was later involved in the ill-fated 1942 Dieppe landings and the Operation Torch Landings in Vichy. Meanwhile, Glenearn took the first assault force ashore on Sword Beach in the D-Day landings, and ran a ferry service for several weeks after, bringing in reinforcements and repatriating the wounded. Forty years later, CS Iris – a cable ship built in Dundee in 1976 – served with the British fleet as a special service vessel during the Falklands War in 1982. During seven months of active service, CS Iris travelled over 45,000 miles and was involved in over 800 helicopter operations. 4. Kestrel Marine Located at Prince Charles Wharf and, later, at the old Caledon shipyard site, Kestrel Marine was involved in building and maintaining offshore oil structures and associated engineering services for many years. The bird symbol on the workers’ jackets, stitched here in black and white, was very recognisable. 5. Women in the shipyards During both World Wars, women were employed in the shipyards. Most had the hazardous job of being ‘Red Leaders’ which involved applying highly toxic red lead paint to the hulls of ships to protect them from rust, while working from tall scaffolding. Women took on other roles, too. Bella Keyzer worked as a wartime welder at Caledon and is believed to have loved her job at the yard. The UK’s first female marine engineer, Victoria Drummond (1894-1978) served her apprenticeship in Dundee and worked on many different ships across the world until she retired in 1962. Her military record was equally impressive: in August 1940, she singlehandedly manned the engine room of the Bonita during a sustained bombing raid and was awarded an MBE and Lloyds Medal for Bravery at Sea. 6. Ladies who launched The launching of ships were big events and the task was usually carried out by local ladies of importance, or by women with links to the shipyard owners. In 1980, unusually, a ship called Koscierzyna was sent on her way by Mrs Regina Walentowska, a factory floor worker from Poland. Delighted to have been selected for such a prestigious duty, she jumped down from the podium and clamped her arms around the Caledon managing director of the time. 7. Below deck To ensure a smooth build, meticulous plans were drawn up for every vessel, right down to the position of the pipework. Boilers, engines and utility pipes were arranged in the most practical and efficient way, with decks, storage and living accommodation located above. 8. Dockside development Dundee’s seafront has changed dramatically over the years. The original harbour is thought to have been established in the 11th century, but the port was substantially expanded in the 19th century when civil engineer Thomas Telford designed improvement works in 1815. King William IV Dock opened in 1825, Earl Grey Dock in 1834, Camperdown Dock in 1865 and Victoria Dock and East Graving Dock in 1875. Just 20 years later, modern ships were becoming too large to fit in these shallow walled docks and so the Eastern Wharf was built. In the 20th century, land was reclaimed to enable the construction of the Tay Road Bridge in the 1960s. Earl Grey and King William IV Docks were filled in, but the other docks still exist: HMS Unicorn is berthed in Victoria Dock, and Camperdown Dock sits alongside – close to where the Caledon shipyard and, latterly, Kestrel Marine were once located. 9. Foundry work Once an important part of Dundee’s industrial armoury, the city’s foundries produced a range of textile machinery, steam engines, boilers and locomotives. Foundries included Blackness, Wallace and Lawside, Victoria, Ward and Monifieth and prior to these, Dundee, Douglas and Lilybank. The latter was particularly important to the local shipbuilding industry but its distance from the port was a major disadvantage. When a 40-ton steam boiler had to be transported from Lilybank Foundry to Victoria Dock, the load was drawn by 20 powerful draught horses and, to counter the steep gradient, ropes were fastened to the rear of the boiler carriage and held by 200 men. A wagon followed behind with new manhole covers to replace those destroyed on route. The damage to the city’s roads came to a head when in 1901, transportation was arranged for the 51-ton engines and 85-ton boiler for SS Californian – the Dundee-built ship famous for being the vessel closest to Titanic when she hit the iceberg. Around £500 worth of damage was caused to roads and tramlines, and the weight of the starboard boiler punctured a water main on Arbroath Road and flooded local streets. 10. The Bummer The Bummer – a very loud whistle or siren – signalled the start and end of workers’ shifts in the jute factories and shipyards in the city. At 5.18pm each working day, the bummer of the Caledon shipyard could be heard, and thousands of workers would spill out onto the nearby streets. 11. Ships built to explore Nimrod was a wooden-hulled, three-masted sailing ship with an auxiliary steam engine, built by Alexander Stephen & Sons in 1866 and launched a year later. Originally designed as a whaler, she took Ernest Shackleton to Antarctica in 1908-1909 and, after the Nimrod Expedition, she returned to commercial service. Sadly, she was lost in the North Sea in 1919, along with 10 of her crew. The Terra Nova was also built in Dundee and was used in the British Antarctic Expedition from 1910-1913. This expedition allowed Captain Robert Falcon Scott to continue the work he began on an earlier expedition with RSS Discovery. Information gratefully received from Mr John B. Reilly, last manager of Caledon shipyard, Mr Rob Struzyna, former employee of PO Marine, and Mr John Dein. Up Up This panel was stitched by Jean Davidson Christine Don Ervin Mackie Lynne Potts