The Tenement House

Glaswegian society in the ‘Tenement Era’

As the self-proclaimed ‘second city of the Empire’, Glasgow led the way in heavy industry, shipbuilding, and engineering, and enjoyed a long period of prosperity and expansion during the 1800s. The city grew at a staggering rate, with the population increasing from 250,000 at the start of the Victorian era to more than a million in 1931.

Such rapid growth caused problems with overcrowding, public health, and sanitation. After an outbreak of cholera, a municipal project was launched in 1855 to bring clean water to the city from Loch Katrine. By the end of the century, landlords were required to provide indoor sanitation. New areas of the city, such as Govanhill, Maryhill, and Mount Florida, were added in 1891, while other improvements to the city were made, including the first electric streetlights in 1893 and the opening of a steam-driven ‘clutch and cable’ subway in 1896.

During the same period, Glasgow experienced a cultural and architectural boom. In the mid-1800s, Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson brought classical flourishes to churches, warehouses, tenements, and domestic masterpieces like Holmwood. In 1903 the trail-blazing designer, and godfather of the ‘Glasgow Style’, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, finished the Mackintosh at the Willow, before later completing work on the famous Glasgow School of Art in 1909.

Three years after Agnes and her mother moved into 145 Buccleuch Street, the First World War began in 1914. This signalled the start of a period of unrest in Glasgow that saw a Rent Strike in 1915, a city-wide General Strike in 1919, a National General Strike in 1926, and the onset of the Great Depression in 1929. This exacerbated social problems such as overcrowding and led to slum clearances and the launch of new housing schemes and new areas of Glasgow to give people more space and a better quality of life.

Tenement residents

Unlike in most cities, where the wealthy fled to the suburbs, Glasgow’s tenements were home to all social classes. By sharing a consistent scale and form, they might have given the impression of an integrated community. Still, the difference between working-class and middle- or upper-class tenements was stark.

The working-class tenements, often consisting of a single room (referred to as a ‘single-end’), were testaments to the harsh realities of the time. These cramped spaces, shared by as many as eight family members, created a perfect environment for overcrowding and poor sanitation. In some instances, a single toilet was shared by a staggering 30 residents.

Meanwhile, middle-class tenements were mostly reserved for the city’s professionals. They had multiple rooms and mod-cons that would have been considered luxurious at the time, like indoor bathrooms and parlour rooms. They weren’t what you would call spacious, but compared to the single-end houses, they made a comfortable home for a large family.

Life in a tenement house

As you might expect, tenement life differed greatly depending on your social status. The Tenement House is a typical middle-class tenement; some of the treasures inside give us a taste of how Agnes and other better-off tenement residents would have lived.

While the indoor bathroom, with its working toilet and bathtub, was a luxury for anyone who had previously had to share a toilet with their neighbours, the kitchen was undoubtedly the heart of the home. The coal-powered range would stay on all day and all night to prepare meals, heat water, and provide warmth for the house (and anyone sleeping in the kitchen).

The mangle in the sink and the cleaning products, such as Brasso, in the cupboard underneath show that domestic chores and cleaning were a big part of tenement life, much like they still are today.

From the hiss and smell of gas lighting to the ‘stone pig’ on the inset bed, the newspaper cuttings, the lipsticks, perfumes, and tiny tins of hot chocolate, visiting the Tenement House lets you feel how different and yet also similar life was for the people living in Glasgow a century ago, who will have been some of our close relatives.

New people, same buildings

Glasgow has changed immeasurably in the last 100 years, but its tenements still stand tall. Whether you live in a tenement flat or you’re visiting Glasgow for the day, there are plenty of things that you can look for in existing tenements that can take you back in time, from the exterior features and communal stairwells to quirky interior design elements and decoration.