Welcome to The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum. This audio tour will last approximately one hour, depending on how much exploring you’d like to do along the way. To start the commentary at any audio tour stop, point the player at an activation point, holding it no more than one foot away, like a remote control. You don’t have to press any buttons. The commentary will start automatically after the tone. Your Podcatcher player has three buttons. Use the button on the left to turn the volume down, and the button on the right to turn the volume up. Use the middle button to pause the commentary, and to restart it. At stops where you’re offered supplementary content, the buttons work as options A, B and C. Before we start the tour…here’s some background about The McManus. As you’ll see, the architecture here is impressive. The building, which opened in 1867, was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott. You might be familiar with other works by this famous architect, including London’s Albert Memorial, St. Pancras hotel and The University of Glasgow’s Gilbert Scott building. The McManus was originally designed as a memorial to Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, who had died in 1861. When the building opened in 1867, it was known as the ‘Albert Institute’. You’re now standing in the impressive Gothic Hall. Gilbert Scott was inspired by his passion for medieval architecture and you’ll see many elements that are typical of his mastery of the High Victorian Gothic Style. The Albert Institute was built in three stages, A public library and Great Hall An extension, to create the original Art Gallery and Museum And the final stage, which added The Victoria Galleries in 1889. In 1978, the Library was moved to new premises in the nearby Wellgate, and the museum interiors were modernized. In May, 1984, the building was renamed in honour of the late Lord Provost Maurice McManus. The McManus and its external streetscape were refurbished between 2005 and 2010.

To find out about the original Victorian Gothic architecture and the recent refurbishment, which was executed in the spirit of the Victorian Gothic style, press the A button on your player, now. Or if you’re ready to move on, walk through the white arch alongside the busts of Victoria and Albert, into the “What is a Museum” display. Look for the audio tour activation point in each space you visit.

A