Sunderland ‘perfectly fierce’ in money making

“They are perfectly fierce in their money making,” is a quote attributed to the business dealings of Sunderland’s industrial growth during the 19th century, and is examined in an exhibition at the Winter Gardens, ‘Boom Town’.

‘Boom Town’ is the aptly named examination of the exponential growth of Sunderland during the industrial revolution, showing how the town’s population exploded over a 100 year period, going from 25,000 in 1801 to 146,000 by 1901.

The exhibition documents the growth of heavy industries such as glass, coal and ship building that the town would become most well known for across the world.

Portraits of some the towns most important industrialists and innovators are on view. These including George Hudson, a local railway entrepreneur who would own over 5000 miles of track, build the South Docks and employ thousands, so becoming a local hero. There’s also Sir Joseph Swan who produced the first incandescent light bulbs.

Paintings of the docks, and other heavy industry such as the building of the SS Britannia on the Wear are also on show, as well as aerial paintings of the town. The fact that Mowbray Park, adjacent now to the civic centre at the city centre, was once on the periphery of the edge of the town illustrates this growth well.

The exhibit also looks at the lives of regular members of the population, including its first police officer, and Tommy Sunderson, a town crier who lived in a metal hut on wheels, called ‘metal hall.’

It also examines some of the towns local heroes who are nearly all associated with the sea. There’s Jack Crawford, for example, who nailed an Admiral’s flag to the mast of the HMS Venerable in case it looked like a call of retreat and who was dutifully awarded a £30 a year pension and a medal from by King George III.

The exibit is not afraid to show the worst parts of town life, looking at a cholera epidemic that caused hundreds of deaths thanks to poor hygeine controls that allowed the disease to spread out into the country, and illustrated by a childs coffin case on loan from the Beamish museum. It also displays some of Sunderlands most notorious criminals, including Mary Ann Cotton who poisoned four husbands, two lovers and her 12 children with arsenic.

Finally, the show looks at what entertained the people of Sunderland in the past, including travelling animal menageries, the Empire theatre, and Sunderland Associated Football Club.

‘Boom Town’ is on display in Sunderland Museum and Winter Garden until March 15th.