Lost shopfronts of Aberdeen remembered

From the grand department stores that are no more to the shops where everything from a tennis ball to a minister's dog collar was for sale, the old shops of Aberdeen are being celebrated in a new exhibition.

The Rubber Shop on George Street in 1986, where you could buy anything from a tennis ball to a minister's collar. PIC Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives.

Window Shopping will take the city back to the golden era of Union Street and the days before the city retail scene was dominated by four separate shopping centres.

George Street also features heavily in the show with images of the Rubber Shop - which sold a cornucopia of wares, from toys to religious clothing - sure to strike a chord with many an Aberdonian.

Esslemont and Macintosh, the department store for the well-to-do of the North East for more than 130 years, is also included. It is now a branch of Jamie’s Italian.

M&S on St Nicholas Street. The shops is in the same location but has a radically different frontage and forms part of the St Nicholas Shopping Centre. PIC Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives.

Phil Astley, curator of Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives, said: “Obviously, Aberdeen has changed quite a bit and a number of shops that feature in the exhibition, including the Rubber Shop, have disappeared.

“These photographs are really nice social documents. They are very ordinary pictures but they contain some lovely incidental detail, such as what people are wearing and the cars they are driving.

“The show will be a nice stroll along memory lane for many and the pictures provide a snapshot of how the city was. These photos capture a point in time in quite a nice way.”

George Street was a buzzing shopping street in Aberdeen. While it is still a busy part of the city, it is overshadowed by the nearby Bon Accord shopping centre. PIC Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives.

Many of the images, from the 1950s to the 1980s, are previously unpublished and were given to the city archive by Aberdeen’s planning department.

The display also includes images from the Central Library’s local history collection.

Councillor Marie Boulton, Aberdeen City Council said: “At a time when we have plans to restore Union Street, the photos featured in this exhibition document the fascinating history of our city centre. “

Window Shopping will open at Seventeen, Belmont Street, today (Friday).