Glasgow in the Eighties: How French photographer Raymond Depardon captured the spirit of Glasgow in the 1980s

By Paul Trainer

Editor

Published 7th Jul 2024, 14:05 BST

Updated 18th Apr 2025, 12:53 BST

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Photos, taken during trips to Glasgow in autumn 1980 spring 1981, are a fascinating photographic record of a Glasgow that has changed beyond recognition.

Born in France in 1942, Raymond Depardon is a prize-winning photojournalist and filmmaker, whose documentary work belongs to the direct cinema tradition. In 1980, following a commission by The Sunday Times, Depardon travelled to Glasgow where he went on to produce a collection of images of life in the city. They were never published, languishing in a box in his home before being resurrected for an exhibition.

The images give a powerful, emotional glimpse of a lost Glasgow from an era of change, when post-industrial challenges were met by resilience and a strong sense of community and identity. His photographs of Glasgow have been turned into a remarkable book, you can order a copy here.

In November 2020, the School of Modern Languages and Cultures of the University of Glasgow hosted an interview with Raymond Depardon on the topic of his celebrated photographs of Glasgow.

Images: © Raymond Depardon | Magnum Photos

"I come to Glasgow, and I don’t speak English. I had no idea what people were saying to me! And the first people to help me – who were wonderful with me – were the children. And when I look at these photographs now, what is incredible is that I did two thirds of these photos with a 28mm lens. It was like a tracking shot. I walked and walked, for hours, and took photos of those I passed. I walked and walked, for hours, and took photos of those I passed."

1. Raymond Depardon | Magnum Photos

"I come to Glasgow, and I don’t speak English. I had no idea what people were saying to me! And the first people to help me – who were wonderful with me – were the children. And when I look at these photographs now, what is incredible is that I did two thirds of these photos with a 28mm lens. It was like a tracking shot. I walked and walked, for hours, and took photos of those I passed. I walked and walked, for hours, and took photos of those I passed." | © Raymond Depardon | Magnum Photos

"From my point of view, it was all so exotic! You have to remember that I was coming to Glasgow from the desert, which is a difficult place to photograph. A few months before the Glasgow photos, I was with rebels in the north of Chad. So, when I set foot on the streets of Glasgow, the whole setting, the people I passed on the footpaths, all of that seemed new to me."

2. Raymond Depardon | Magnum Photos

"From my point of view, it was all so exotic! You have to remember that I was coming to Glasgow from the desert, which is a difficult place to photograph. A few months before the Glasgow photos, I was with rebels in the north of Chad. So, when I set foot on the streets of Glasgow, the whole setting, the people I passed on the footpaths, all of that seemed new to me." | © Raymond Depardon | Magnum Photos

"You have to know that these photos spent thirty three years in boxes, and it’s thanks to Hervé Chandès [who commissioned Such a sweet moment, the 2013 exhibition of Depardon’s photos at Paris’s Grand Palais] that they made it out of there."

3. Raymond Depardon | Magnum Photos

"You have to know that these photos spent thirty three years in boxes, and it’s thanks to Hervé Chandès [who commissioned Such a sweet moment, the 2013 exhibition of Depardon’s photos at Paris’s Grand Palais] that they made it out of there." | © Raymond Depardon | Magnum Photos

"I look at these photos today, I say to myself that I was like a Martian in Glasgow– and maybe that was a stroke of luck. I took photos of what I saw: children, alcoholics, the poor, the few rich people I passed. And in a certain way, perhaps I wasn’t really conscious of what I was doing. I took it all at face value…"

4. Raymond Depardon | Magnum Photos

"I look at these photos today, I say to myself that I was like a Martian in Glasgow– and maybe that was a stroke of luck. I took photos of what I saw: children, alcoholics, the poor, the few rich people I passed. And in a certain way, perhaps I wasn’t really conscious of what I was doing. I took it all at face value…" | © Raymond Depardon | Magnum Photos

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