"A Dying Mode of Transport" - a horse and cart in a winter snowstorm, 1955.
The rise of motorised vehicles in the 20th century spelled the end for the wide-scale use of horse-drawn vehicles. By 1955, 59,335 "mechanically propelled road vehicle" were licensed in Glasgow, including cars, motor bikes, goods vehicles and trams. In contrast to many other big cities, however, Glaswegians owned a relatively small number of cars and motor bikes. Many people relied instead on public transport, with the Corporation running nearly 45 per cent of all registered trams in the UK.
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: 1005.97.365 / OG.1955.121.[286]
Reproduced with the permission of the Partick Camera Club
Keywords:
Glasgow Photographic Survey 1955, horse-drawn carts, horses and carts, snow, winter