Galkoff's and the Secret Life of Pembroke Place is an exhibition at the Museum of Liverpool, in partnership with Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM). It is also the culmination of research, archaeological digs, a painstaking conservation project and the assistance of more than 70 volunteers.
At the heart of the display is the reconstruction of Liverpool landmark, Galkoff's Kosher butcher’s shop frontage. The beautiful 1930s emerald green tiles have undergone careful conservation, or in some cases replacement where the damage, due to weather exposure, was too great. The result is an impressive life-size reconstruction of the iconic façade with the original gold lettering and Hebrew signage.
Accompanied by detailed research into the Galkoff's family, which led curators as far as Poland and New York, and featuring photographs, objects and personal memories, the display highlights the story of Liverpool’s Jewish community as well as its long history of migration.
Galkoff's was located just a few doors away from the last remaining area of Liverpool court housing on Pembroke Place; back-to-back houses standing around central courtyards. This type of house - a full-scale reconstruction of which can be found in The People's Republic gallery at the Museum of Liverpool - was a prevalent type of working-class home in mid 19th century Liverpool. The new display includes information obtained from the geophysical surveys done in and around the vicinity, shedding new light on the realities of court house-living and the people who inhabited them.