Worshippers squeeze out through the narrow entrance to St David's Parish Church and tumble down the steep flight of stairs in this coloured cartoon from the Northern Looking Glass, 12 December 1825.
St David's or the "Ramshorn Kirk" was rebuilt in Ingram Street in 1824-1826. The new church was designed by Thomas Rickman but his plans were modified by Glasgow's Superintendent of Public Works, James Cleland. The caption complains that "the handsome archway entrance door has now been subdivided into two smaller archways taking on the appearance of a window...and the inconvenient flight of steps leading up to this door-like window add much to its absurd appearance." In Glasgow Past and Present Cleland was mocked for designing such a "neck-breaking stair".
Reference: Sp Coll Bh14-x.8
Glasgow University Library, Special Collections
Keywords:
arches, architects, archways, churches, congregations, entrances, fashions, Glasgow Looking Glass, lithographs, Northern Looking Glass, Ramshorn Kirk, St David's Parish Church, stairs, stairways, Superintendents of Public Works, women, worshippers