Trongate in the Olden Time

Art Historical Context

Step into the bustling heart of historic Glasgow with *Trongate in the Olden Time* (1900), a evocative lithograph by James Craig Annan. This plate 18 from the landmark book *The Old Closes & Streets of Glasgow* captures the vibrant Trongate—a key thoroughfare lined with towering tenements, shops, and pedestrians—before the city's aggressive slum clearances transformed it forever. Produced amid Glasgow's rapid industrialization and urban renewal at the turn of the century, the image preserves a vanishing world of narrow wynds, crowded markets, and architectural grit, offering a poignant snapshot of everyday Scottish life. A master of photomechanical reproduction, Annan elevated photography through his innovative lithographic techniques, blending the precision of the camera with the artistry of printmaking. Classified as a photograph in the Art Institute of Chicago's Photography and Media department, this work exemplifies early 20th-century efforts to document and romanticize urban heritage. Its intimate scale (image 16.1 × 23.9 cm) invites close viewing, revealing fine details like horse-drawn carts and period attire that evoke nostalgia for Glasgow's "olden time." This piece not only highlights Annan's technical prowess but also underscores the cultural value of photographic preservation, reminding us how art can safeguard history from the wrecking ball. A must-see for lovers of cityscapes and social history!

About the Artist

James Craig Annan · 1864–1946

James Craig Annan (1864–1946) was a Scottish photographer widely regarded as one of the leading figures in the Pictorialist movement that sought to establish photography as a legitimate fine art at the turn of the twentieth century. The son of the distinguished Glasgow photographer Thomas Annan, James Craig grew up immersed in the craft and business of photography, inheriting both his father's tec...