"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."placeholder image
"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

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

Paul Trainer
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

"That’s why I think a photographer from Glasgow couldn’t have taken these photos because it’s their own everyday world, which I can understand. I was lucky to grow up on a farm in the 1950s. You can imagine the wonderful photos I could have taken there! But instead, I took off and went to photograph Brigitte Bardot and General De Gaulle."

9. Raymond Depardon | Magnum Photos

"That’s why I think a photographer from Glasgow couldn’t have taken these photos because it’s their own everyday world, which I can understand. I was lucky to grow up on a farm in the 1950s. You can imagine the wonderful photos I could have taken there! But instead, I took off and went to photograph Brigitte Bardot and General De Gaulle." | © Raymond Depardon | Magnum Photos

"But I have incredible memories of that time. I had never seen a city like it and if it hadn’t been for The Sunday Times, I would never have visited it."

10. Raymond Depardon | Magnum Photos

"But I have incredible memories of that time. I had never seen a city like it and if it hadn’t been for The Sunday Times, I would never have visited it." | © Raymond Depardon | Magnum Photos

"I think that for Glasgow in 1980, if I had had a film camera and a bit of knowledge of English [laughs], I would have made a wonderful film because around me I could hear tremendous people with no affectation in how they spoke. I never found that anywhere else."

11. Raymond Depardon | Magnum Photos

"I think that for Glasgow in 1980, if I had had a film camera and a bit of knowledge of English [laughs], I would have made a wonderful film because around me I could hear tremendous people with no affectation in how they spoke. I never found that anywhere else." | © Raymond Depardon | Magnum Photos

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