Photography as we know it was invented in France in 1822, with the earliest surviving photograph dating back to 1826.
It was a complicated process, which required a knowledge of optics, paper treatment, and chemistry. It was far from as simple as it is today, when any Glaswegian can pull a phone out of their pocket to snap a pic. Prior to the invention of photography the most we could do to capture our city and surroundings was illustrations by artists.
The first photographers braved Glasgow in 1839, set to capture its city and its inhabitants - though the first photographic studio in Glasgow wouldn’t be opened until 1842 by one Mr. H. W. Treffry.
These were not photographs in the traditional sense - but they were early photographic techniques known as daguerreotypes.
We took a look at some of the oldest pictures available on the Virtual Mitchell - dating from the early 1850’s to 1860 - to see what Glasgow looked like nearly 200 years ago.
All of the images below are courtesy of the Virtual Mitchell - a public Glasgow City Archive resource that anyone can use as a window into the past, you can check it out for yourself by clicking here.
For more on the history of early photography in Glasgow, read this blog by MerchantCityGlasgow - who details the introduction of the art of photography to Glasgow.
9. Tontine Hotel (c.1860)
Another image of the Tontine Hotel on Trongate with Glaswegians gathered outside circa. 1860. | Virtual Mitchell
10. Partick Curling Club (c.1860)
West End residents get curling on the Partick Curling Club by Peel Street, circa. 1860. | Virtual Mitchell