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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
David McLean

Unseen photos of 1970s Glasgow show a very different Merchant City

A series of photos have been unearthed showing Glasgow's Merchant City in the 1970s when swanky wine bars and restaurants were thin on the ground.

Captured in May 1975, while Glasgow was famously celebrating its 800th anniversary, the images shows the city's now stylish Merchant City looking distinctly unfashionable and grime-ridden.

Around Candleriggs, derelict buildings with boarded up shops are commonplace in the Seventies scenes.

Merchant Square, now home to upmarket bars and steakhouses, is soot-stained and awaiting fresh purpose.

The old Merchant City Fruitmarket - since restored and enjoying a new lease of life as a plush, multi-purpose venue - is being used as a car park.

The fascinating images are the latest to have been digitised by Glasgow local Rob Reid, who recently uncovered a cache of pictures of St Enoch Station in the 1970s taken by his mother, Enid Reid.

Now it turns out that both of Rob's parents shared a love for photography in their younger years.

This time around, Rob is in the process of digitising pictures taken by his father, Stephen Reid, from the same era - including a set showing the Merchant City.

Speaking to Glasgow Live, Mr Reid, 33, said he was surprised to discover that the Old Fruitmarket had been used for city centre parking.

He said: "It's so weird to see it [the fruitmarket] being used as a car park.

"The pictures are really interesting as they show a lot of older buildings that aren't standing anymore or have been replaced by new builds.

"I think that a fair few of the photos show buildings that were in place of where the new builds that had Gandolphi fish in it.

"One of the things I really liked was the signage on show. It would nice to see a bit more of that around the Merchant City."

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Dating back to the 1750s, the Merchant City is one of the city's most historic districts and was originally home to the warehouses of wealthy merchants who controlled the tobacco, sugar and tea trade.

Into the Victorian era, and the area housed Glasgow's main fruit and vegetable markets - including the aforementioned Old Fruitmarket.

After the Second World War, the Merchant City entered a period of decline, with many businesses moving out to other parts of the city. By the 1960s and '70s a number of prominent buildings either lay vacant or were demolished altogether.

With the Merchant City now experiencing an upturn in fortunes, Rob Reid says he is glad that the iconic district, with its abundance of plus bars, restaurants, boutiques and galleries, has been brought back to life.

Rob added: "I think it's changed for the better. Obviously the town is having problems just now - I was sad to see Blackfriar's Bar going, which is a loss to the Merchant City, I think.

"But, generally, I think things are better. It's pleasing to see buildings being used for something rather than just for cars to park in them."

Rob says he hopes to uncover and digitise more boxes of old photographs in the coming months.

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