Carlton Place in Laurieston, 1955.
To the right is one of the two elegant terraces built for property developers John and David Laurie in the early 1800s. The brothers had hoped to create an exclusive suburb on the south bank of the River Clyde, but the rapid development of industrial works nearby meant that the area never became fashionable. A chimney, probably that of the Adelphi Distillery, can be seen to the left of the photograph.
Gorbals Parish Church stands to the east of the tenements. Designed by the architect David Hamilton and built 1806-1810, its spire rose to 174 feet but was struck by lightning in 1929 and never rebuilt to its original height. The church was demolished in 1973 to make way for the new Sheriff Court of Glasgow and Strathkelvin (built 1980-1986).
In 1955 Partick Camera Club set out to create a photographic survey of Glasgow. As the project progressed, other camera clubs joined and each was allocated a district of the city to photograph. Glasgow Museums exhibited the photographs at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and at the People's Place, and in 1956 the exhibition was shown at the Palace of Art in Bellahouston Park. The photographs are now part of Glasgow Museums' collections.
Reference: 1005.97.176 / OG.1955.121.[151]
Reproduced with the permission of the Partick Camera Club
Keywords:
Adelphi Distillery, chimneys, churches, Glasgow Photographic Survey 1955, Gorbals Parish Church, River Clyde, Sheriff Court of Glasgow and Strathkelvin, spires, tenements, terraces