Plate 32: Close, No. 128 Saltmarket Possibly 1868 - 1877

Thomas Annan made this photograph, "Plate 32: Close, No. 128 Saltmarket," using the photogravure process. This image belongs to a series commissioned in 1868 to document Glasgow's overcrowded and unsanitary Old Town district, shortly before its demolition for urban renewal. Annan’s photographs offer a stark glimpse into the lives of the working-class residents. The narrow closes, or alleyways, like this one on Saltmarket, were breeding grounds for disease and poverty. Yet, within these images, we can see the resilience and dignity of the people who lived there. Annan’s unflinching gaze doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of urban poverty. These photographs straddle a line between social documentation and aesthetic contemplation. While the intent was to improve living conditions, they are also a study of light, shadow, and texture that invites us to reflect on the human cost of progress and industrialization. They serve as a poignant reminder of the social inequalities that persist to this day.