Old Houses Corner of George Street and High Street 1897

James Craig Annan made this photogravure, "Old Houses Corner of George Street and High Street," using a copper plate and photographic process. It’s not a scene of grand architecture, but rather a look at the dense, working-class areas of Glasgow. Annan's technique, photogravure, is significant. It’s an intricate process involving coating a copper plate with light-sensitive gelatin tissue, exposing it to a photographic negative, and then etching the plate. The result is a print with a rich tonal range and a tactile quality, far removed from the smooth, clinical finish we often associate with photography today. The image itself shows a jumble of rooftops and chimneys, a dense landscape of labor and everyday life. There's a palpable sense of the city's industrial character, the smoke-filled air. Annan doesn't shy away from showing the impact of industrialization on the urban fabric and the lives of ordinary people. Considering the materials and processes behind this image gives us a deeper understanding of its cultural significance, revealing the artist's careful attention to both the technical craft and social context.