The city of Glasgow went through many transformations over the centuries. The Dear Green place was once an industrial city tarnished by slums, poverty and deprivation. In the mid-19th century, the Industrial Revolution was on its peak, coal mining, iron founding, chemical manufacturing and shipbuilding industries were also formed in the Glasgow.
The city center which had once been home to Glasgow’s wealthiest class, became a hub for industry and trade. The once beautiful tenements and townhouses fell into disrepair and became overcrowded slums for the new working class who had flocked to the city in search of work.
Photographer Thomas Annan was commissioned by Glasgow’s authorities to document the life of slums. He published his work in The Old Closes and Streets of Glasgow. Here below are some of his photographs of old Glasgow from the late 1860s that show streets and life of slums of Glasgow.
Amazing to think of those people in the photos, the lives they led?
I lived in a tenement in the 70s and didnt think it was that bad
The sad thing is, with just about all pictured atleast 54, how many are no longer with us.
Other than fashion and internal decorations, this would be 20 years earlier easily. It was just the end game for these particular tenements, which over 30 years or so echoed across Glagow.
I grew up in Partick in the 70s when it was near enough like this.
Great times tbh.
I arrived in Glasgow in the 90s, and I was appalled by what I saw. I had never seen poverty and neglect like it. So different today, but I have a sinking feeling the city is going backwards and decline is picking up pace. I’m retiring next year and my Scottish partner are leaving to live in Valencia. Mostly Brexit, which has made the UK a very unwelcoming place to be (just my own perception, not advocating for any politics etc, and we will ALWAYS love Glasgow and Glaswegians unconditionally)
I left glasgow in the 90s it was grim mostly though I had a lot of fun . I returned last year to a vastly improved environment but I feel most British cities are full of neglect outside of London and now Manchester with the investment from the Qatari’s which brings new problems . Glasgow still has soul at least but the rents are shooting up as all bail out of England in the hope of a EU return ….