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Life in the Gorbals

Harrowing black and white photos show the horrific living conditions in 1940s Glasgow where overcrowding was rife and sewage seeped into slums

Up to 40,000 people lived in the notorious Glasgow slum of the Gorbals in the late 1940s

IT WAS the notoriously poor Glasgow slum which was rife with overcrowding and sewage running in the streets.

And harrowing black and white photos have shed light on the horrific living conditions of residents living in the Gorbals in the 1940s.

Two young boys walk their dogs around the streets of the Gorbals in Glasgow in 1948
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Two young boys walk their dogs around the streets of the Gorbals in Glasgow in 1948Credit: Getty Images
Two children play with their doll as they pose for the camera
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Two children play with their doll as they pose for the cameraCredit: Getty Images
Two young boys link arms as they walk down the street in the Gorbals
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Two young boys link arms as they walk down the street in the GorbalsCredit: Getty Images
Without proper balls, children had to use whatever they could to enjoy a game of football
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Without proper balls, children had to use whatever they could to enjoy a game of footballCredit: Getty Images
A street scene in the Gorbals, which was snapped by Picture Post photographer Bert Hardy
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A street scene in the Gorbals, which was snapped by Picture Post photographer Bert HardyCredit: Getty Images

The tenement blocks in the Gorbals sprung up in the 1840s as people flocked to Glasgow to work in the city's factories.

Unable to keep up with the demand for housing, the tenements were built quickly and cheaply and were designed to pack as many people in as possible.

But appalling conditions came with it and it was not unusual for houses to have no water facilities and for sewage to run through the streets.

After these pictures were published, authorities decided to bulldoze the tenements
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After these pictures were published, authorities decided to bulldoze the tenementsCredit: Getty Images
Two little boys in shorts and long socks play in the street. Many children had to share a room with up to eight family members
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Two little boys in shorts and long socks play in the street. Many children had to share a room with up to eight family membersCredit: Getty Images
A young boy sits on a stone and attempts to blow up his balloon in the Gorbals
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A young boy sits on a stone and attempts to blow up his balloon in the GorbalsCredit: Getty Images
The children of the Gorbals pack together to pose for the camera in a street picture
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The children of the Gorbals pack together to pose for the camera in a street pictureCredit: Getty Images
Children entertain themselves by playing in dirty puddle water in the slums
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Children entertain themselves by playing in dirty puddle water in the slumsCredit: Getty Images
Without many toys to play with, two young lads decide to play a game on a heap of rubbish
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Without many toys to play with, two young lads decide to play a game on a heap of rubbishCredit: Getty Images

The tenements were home to around 40,000 and it was not uncommon for up to eight family members to share the same single bedroom.

In many parts of the Gorbals, up to 30 people would have to share the same toilet and more than 40 residents would have to use the same tap.

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The harrowing images were snapped in 1948 after the Second World War by photographer Bert Hardy, who worked for the Picture Post.

He had been despatched from London to travel to Scotland to capture life in what was one of Europe's most deprived neighbourhoods.

Barmen serve thirsty customers at one of the 174 pubs surrounding the Gorbals area
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Barmen serve thirsty customers at one of the 174 pubs surrounding the Gorbals areaCredit: Getty Images
Barmen work hard to serve all their customers at one of the 174 pubs near the Gorbals
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Barmen work hard to serve all their customers at one of the 174 pubs near the GorbalsCredit: Getty Images
Many men would meet in the local pub so they could have a crafty cigarette
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Many men would meet in the local pub so they could have a crafty cigaretteCredit: Getty Images
One of the main nightspots in the Gorbals was the Diamond Dancing Hall
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One of the main nightspots in the Gorbals was the Diamond Dancing HallCredit: Getty Images

And after his pictures were published, authorities began bulldozing the out of date tenements to make way for new housing.

By 1920, 850 tenements were demolished and a major redevelopment of the area began in the late 1950s.

By the 1960s, all of the tenements had been replaced by so-called modern tower block complexes.

Child eat their breakfast in one of the overcrowded tenement flats, that would sometimes see up to 30 people have to share one toilet
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Child eat their breakfast in one of the overcrowded tenement flats, that would sometimes see up to 30 people have to share one toiletCredit: Getty Images
A West Indian family pack into their tiny dining room in the Gorbals in 1948
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A West Indian family pack into their tiny dining room in the Gorbals in 1948Credit: Getty Images
A woman carrying her shopping basket stands at the bottom of a destroyed flight of stairs
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A woman carrying her shopping basket stands at the bottom of a destroyed flight of stairsCredit: Getty Images
A woman peers out of the window of her tenement. Up to 40,000 people lived in the Gorbals tenements
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A woman peers out of the window of her tenement. Up to 40,000 people lived in the Gorbals tenementsCredit: Getty Images
A Glaswegian woman peers out of the window as she pets her cat
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A Glaswegian woman peers out of the window as she pets her catCredit: Getty Images
Youngsters play with toy guns around the streets of the huge neighbourhood of tenements
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Youngsters play with toy guns around the streets of the huge neighbourhood of tenementsCredit: Getty Images
Eventually the tenements were demolished to make way for modern new tower blocks
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Eventually the tenements were demolished to make way for modern new tower blocksCredit: Getty Images

However, in recent years, many of these tower blocks have also been wiped out to make way for new houses.

The pictures come after revealing aerial photos of Manila’s slums showed homes packed tightly together with little room to breathe.

While some of the earliest black and white photographs in existence have provided a fascinating insight into life in Victorian Britain.

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