Woodside Crescent, Park Circus, City of London, England, WC1R 3NR. (© Newsquest (Herald & Times). Licensor www.scran.ac.uk)

Two young friends on the back step of their tenement block, 1950s (© Newsquest (Herald & Times). Licensor www.scran.ac.uk)

HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVED

In the 19th and early 20th centuries most Glaswegians lived in tenements. The buildings could be adapted to meet the resources of all the different social classes that lived in the city.

WORKING-CLASS TENEMENTS

Many working-class tenements had only two rooms, known as a 'room and kitchen', or one room, a 'single-end'. A single-end was essentially a kitchen with a recess bed but often housed a large family. In areas such as the High Street or the Gorbals, overcrowding was common and water and sewage facilities were poor. A single room could be shared by as many as 8 family members, with 30 residents sharing a toilet. In one tenement near Glasgow Cross, over 500 people claimed to live in a single close.

MIDDLE-CLASS TENEMENTS

The Tenement House is a typical middle-class Glasgow home with four rooms – bedroom, parlour, kitchen and bathroom. By the standards of the day, having an indoor bathroom would have been considered a luxury. Residents within a tenement block such as this would have been mainly professionals working in the city. Although compact, compared to the single-end tenements this was a very comfortable home and could accommodate a large family.

Larger tenements, with five or even more rooms, were built for more affluent residents of the city.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

In the second half of the 19th century efforts were made to improve conditions in working-class tenements. Acts of Parliament were passed to supply Glasgow with clean water from Loch Katrine and improve sanitation. Laws were also put in place to prevent overcrowding.

Work continued in the 20th century to improve conditions. A Rent Restrictions Act passed in 1915 made rents more affordable, but in working-class areas landlords became unable or unwilling to maintain tenements and conditions declined. Local councils began to take responsibility for providing working-class housing. The widespread demolition of slums and the introduction of high-rise flats improved conditions but broke up the sense of community experienced in the tenements.

Following the Second World War, ownership of property became more common. People bought individual tenement houses and adapted them to their needs. Some tenement blocks were bought by community-based housing associations, who modernised the properties and rented them out. Today, tenements are occupied by a mixture of private owners and tenants of landlords and housing associations.