The Dunn Saga

These photo's have been kindly shared by Frances Street, nee Dunn, who is one of the two daughters of Robert and Gertie Dunn. Her sister is Rosalind Small. Robert ran a clothing shop in Whitechapel, in London's East End during the 1930s and early 1940s.

His customer base was boys and young men, or 'youths', particularly those about to have their Barmitzvah's, who needed a smart, new suit for the occasion.

Sadly, when the blitz occurred in the area,  between September 1940 and May 1941,  his client base had been evacuated away from London, to more rural places like Amersham in Buckinghamshire. As a direct result of this, his business soon folded, and he had to struggle to earn his living some other way. He was left with a shop full of individually tailored clothes, and to add further bad luck, the shop was broken into and  most of his stock was stolen.

After this he owned a metal polishing factory in Hackney, until he caught his hand in a machine which chopped off some of his fingers. He sold the factory and brought a launderette in Enfield, which he ran until his premature death in 1964.

Bobby Dunn: For The Modern Boy and Youth. Robert Dunn's bespoke tailors
and boys outfitters shop in Whitechapel, East End of London, circa early 1940s.

Robert 'Bobby' Dunn in the door-way of his boys outfitters shop, with his colleague.

Robert Dunn in his mid life, circa 1940s

Robert Dunn as a young man

Gertie Kleiman, who would go on to marry Robert Dunn.

Kleiman children, with Gertie on the right, in the Edwardian Era, circa 1910

Frances Street nee Dunn as a baby, aged about 18 months




All photographs courtesy of Frances Street, one of Gertie and Robert Dunn's two daughter's, with the other been Rosalind Small.