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Exhibition

Counter Culture

175 years of shopping at Boots

Fri 3 May – Sun 21 Jul 2024

Djanogly Gallery

Past exhibition

This exhibition has now ended.

Past exhibition

This exhibition has now ended.

175 years ago, John Boot opened a herbalist store on Nottingham’s Goose Gate. To mark this anniversary, Boots has partnered with the University of Nottingham to explore how shopping has evolved since 1849 in this Nottingham exhibition.

Part design show, part social history, Counter Culture explores changing experiences on the high street. From Victorian pharmacies to the superstores of the 1980s and beyond, Boots stores have reflected our shifting social needs, cultural aspirations, and patterns of everyday life.

Using historic objects, images and architecture, Counter Culture looks at the creation of modern shopping, from both sides of the counter.

This free Nottingham exhibition is a trip down memory lane for all Boots shoppers.

For the last week of this exhibition come and enjoy a robot-guided tour! Created by, and featuring, the exhibition curators Sophie and Richard, with the help of this wandering robot they will guide you through the exhibition! This is a novel experience and a great way to find out more about some of the exhibits.

This is a project by TAS Hub, Robotics for Good, and Cobot Maker Space.

Learn more about the project here.

All images courtesy of Boots Archive. Lead images: WBA/BT/5/57/1/4 – Career booklet, 1950s; WBA/BT/28/46/30/1 – Boots Lister Gate store, Nottingham, 1950s; WBA/BT/5/34/165/7/24 – Still from a staff training presentation on service, c1970; WBA/BT/21/46/1/666/1 – Boots Goose Gate store, Nottingham, 1896

With thanks to

Arts and Humanities Research Council
175 years of Boots, with you for life

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