The 1970s was a defining decade for Glasgow, marking a period of dramatic change as many residents left the city’s inner-city slums for newly built housing estates on its outskirts.
Globally, it was a time of major events and cultural milestones — Richard Nixon became the first U.S. president in history to resign following the Watergate scandal, films like The Godfather, Star Wars, and Grease captivated audiences, Billy Connolly emerged as a national star, and the UK experienced political turbulence leading up to Margaret Thatcher’s rise to power in 1979.
In Glasgow, the live music scene thrived. Notable acts performed at Green’s Playhouse — renamed The Apollo in September 1973 — while Hampden Park once again hosted a European Cup Final, with Bayern Munich taking on Saint-Étienne in 1976.
Here are 70 photographs that capture the changing face of Glasgow and everyday life in the city throughout the seventies.
41. Argyle Street
Glasgow shoppers queue at an Argyle Street grocery for sugar, available after the shortage of August 1974. Photo: Allan Milligan
42. The Kingston Bridge (1970)
A police car leads the cavalcade when Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother visits Glasgow to open the Kingston Bridge in June 1970. Photo: TSPL
43. Cleansing strike (1975)
Women thanking the Army who were were roped in to clear the rubbish from the streets of Glasgow after a cleansing department strike in March 1975. | TSPL
44. Buchanan Street (1977)
Shoppers take a stroll up Buchanan Street in 1977 just before it became completely pedestrianised the following year. Photo: TSPL