From 159 Woodhouse Lane to Hull Streetlife Museum
When Mr Castelow died at the age of 98 his chemist shop which had stood at 159 Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, for 133 years, was to be demolished. Realising the potential loss, Mr Castelow's will provided that the shop's unique contents be preserved within a Yorkshire Museum. Hull Museums complied with Mr Castelow's wishes. In 1976, after a team was despatched to take detailed photographs of every shelf, drawer, bottle and jar on the premises the shop was carefully packed up and transported to Hull's Wilberforce Museum on High Street. #SUBHEADING#Reconstruction#SUBHEADINGEND# It was reconstructed exactly as it appeared during Mr Castelow's ownership, everything down to the smallest detail was replaced; the shop even retained its distinctive smell. The shop was eventually re-housed in the more fitting environment of the Hull Streetlife Museum street scene. The reconstructed shop offers an intriguing insight into the Victorian world. The shelves are full of concoctions which are simply unobtainable today, such as Blood Purifiers and Liver Rousers. The shelves abound with medications from throughout the twentieth century, including some recognisable brands offering a chance to see which ailments have troubled people throughout the past one hundred years. Some are recognisable and continue to inflict us to this day, such as, headaches, diarrhoea, flu, colds and coughs, some ailments such as typhoid no longer figure so predominantly in modern British life. #SUBHEADING#Attraction#SUBHEADINGEND# During Mr Castelow's ownership the pharmacy attracted visitors from all over the world, intrigued to see the chemist shop from a different age. That atmosphere was so unique that one American visitor offered to buy the shop off Mr Castelow in the 1960s and have it shipped in it's entirety to the United States. Mr Castelow politely refused, he was adamant his shop would stay in Yorkshire. Now safely housed in Hull Streetlife Museum, it continues to be a major attraction and is still a visitor favourite.
The carboy
Seen in many a chemist shop window, the carboy was an impressive symbol of the pharmaceutical profession. There was a range of designs and the coloured liquid contained inside made them an appealing addition to any window display. Read on to discover their origins and uses.
Making the medicines
Whilst there were a number of medicines which were ordered from outside companies, most remedies were composed behind the chemist's counter. It was a time consuming and skilled process. Read on to discover the life of a pill, from mortar to medicine bottle.
Danger in the Dispensary
We visit a chemist shop assuming we will be given a safe and helpful remedy to cure our complaints. Today that is just what we receive but in the past there was a darker more dangerous side to the local pharmacy. Read on to discover a taste of the old medicine.
159 Woodhouse Lane
Mr Walter Thomas Castelow's shop at 159 Woodhouse Lane was the oldest surviving chemist shop in Leeds when it was demolished for the redevelopment of the University in 1976.
Mr Walter Thomas Castelow
Walter Thomas Castelow was born, 16th January, 1876 in Kirkgate, near Leeds. Castelow was locally educated at Middle Class School, Vernon Road, Leeds, before attending the Yorkshire College, now Leeds University. Working life began in 1894, when at the age of 16 he signed indentures as an apprentice for Messrs. Abbot and Anning, of Fenton Street, Leeds.
