A look back into a long forgotten era
Cambuslang residents can look forward to taking a step back in time later this year.
The Cambuslang Heritage Group is currently compiling a special exhibition, to be held in the town’s Institute, on May 16, 2015.
The group is working on a Heritage Lottery funded two- year local history project, which will come to an end in May when the group’s findings will be highlighted.
And they were stunned when a chance conversation with a Cambuslang man turned up an amazing treasure trove.
The treasure trove was first revealed by the Reformer last November, but this week we present another three of the pictures, which have been digitally cleaned up and restored to their full glory.
A local resident has had in his possession the amazing pictures for many years. They were taken by his grandfather, a keen amateur photographer, showing life in Cambuslang at the end of the 19th century up to the early 1920s.
The pictures were immaculately preserved as glass plates.
A few of the pictures have been used in previous publications, but the majority have not been seen for well over 100 years.
This week, the group have released another three images, to build up interest in the exhibition.
One picture shows a Cambuslang worthy who was known as Match Jimmie who, as the name suggests, toured the area selling matches. He came from the Kirkhill area.
The second is of William Robertson, from about 1890. He was the precentor at Cambuslang Old Parish Church where he led the singing. This was before the church had on organ.
The local history study, being presented in association with the help of Glasgow Kelvin College, is centred on the period covered by three donated large scale maps of the Cambuslang area.
These original maps date from 1895, 1913 and 1938 and will be on permanent display in the Institute.
The huge religious revival event which took place at the Preaching Braes, now within Cambuslang Park, has also been studied.
In addition to the 150 photographs, the group has gathered a huge amount of information about life in Cambuslang during the period being studied.
They also have a 19 minute film dating from 1938 with local scenes including Vicarland Road and Main Street.
The final picture shows Cambuslang Main Street, looking towards Greenlees Road, in the early 1920s. On studying the picture, there is the odd motorised vehicle, but mostly the traffic is horse powered, and there are still youngsters walking about with bare feet.