THE 89-year-old South African photographer who captured the final days of the old Gorbals tenements has recalled how families feared the move would, “destroy the strong community spirit.”

Jurgen Shadeberg was sent to Glasgow in 1968 to photograph the aftermath of the demolition and relocation of families for a feature in the London Telegraph about homelessness.

Glasgow Times:

By the time the tenements were brought down, overcrowding was rife and sewage and water facilities inadequate. 

Redevelopment of the area began in the late 1950s and the tenements were replaced with a modern tower block complex in the sixties.  

Glasgow Times:

Jurgen said it was “unfortunate” that he never returned to the city to see the dramatic transformation of the area and said it is his hope that his photographs will be displayed

in a Glasgow museum for those to took part in the project to enjoy.

Glasgow Times:

He said:  “I remember the great poverty in the Gorbals and seeing many young children roaming around and playing in the rubble with no apparent adult supervision.

“It reminded me of the black townships in South Africa where groups of children also ran around apparently unsupervised.

Glasgow Times:

“The people were aware of being photographed and gave their permission in most cases.

“The readily talked about their great reluctance to move despite the bad housing conditions as they felt that the move would destroy the strong community spirit.

Glasgow Times:

“My favourite picture is the broken down fence in the foreground (main image) and in the distance children playing and running.”

Glasgow Times:

Schadeberg was born in Berlin but moved to South Africa in 1951.

Glasgow Times:

He became one of only a few white photographers who photographed daily life among the black community, capturing the beginnings of the freedom movement, the effects of apartheid and the vibrancy of township life.