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Shades of Grey: Glasgow 1956 - 1987
Book by McIlvanney, William
- GenresScotland
192 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 1993
30 people want to read
About the author
Oscar Marzaroli
7 books1 followerOscar Marzaroli (1933 - 1988) was an Italian-born Scottish photographer of post-World War II urban Scotland. He was born in Castiglione Vara in northwest Italy and came to Scotland with his family at the age of two.
Marzaroli had a career in photojournalism in London and Stockholm. He also operated as a photographer on the streets of Glasgow and became famed for his iconic images of the city in the 1960s. He was best known for his images of the Gorbals area as the bulldozers cleared away the streets of the run down tenements. Marzaroli's work came to national attention in the 1980s with the publication of three collections of his photographs by the Edinburgh publishing house Mainstream. He was also a film cameraman, as well as director and producer, for Ogam Films, which he founded with three friends in 1967.
Marzaroli had a career in photojournalism in London and Stockholm. He also operated as a photographer on the streets of Glasgow and became famed for his iconic images of the city in the 1960s. He was best known for his images of the Gorbals area as the bulldozers cleared away the streets of the run down tenements. Marzaroli's work came to national attention in the 1980s with the publication of three collections of his photographs by the Edinburgh publishing house Mainstream. He was also a film cameraman, as well as director and producer, for Ogam Films, which he founded with three friends in 1967.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 3, 2022
Update 03/09/22 - I decided to update the review below as my original review included a link that is no longer available. I decided to add a few of Marzaroli's photos instead.
Although GR lists William McIlvanney as the author, this is really a superb collection of black and white photos of Glasgow by the Scots-Italian photographer Oscar Marzaroli. McIlvanney contributes an essay of his memories and impressions of Glasgow, but this book is all about the photos.
I’ve owned this book for many years but was looking through it again recently. I think anyone who knows Glasgow would appreciate it, or just anyone with an interest in urban photography.
Marzaroli captured the last few years of Glasgow’s old Gorbals district prior to its demolition in the 1960s. This area was the city’s most notorious slum, indeed arguably the most notorious slum in the whole of Britain at the time. Marzaroli’s photos are from the 1960s, but many of them look as if they are from the thirties.
There are so many great photos in this collection that I am hard pressed to choose between them, but the photo below, of a working man on his tea break, is one of my favourites
Most of all, Marzaroli will probably be remembered for his scenes of the last days of the old Gorbals
Although GR lists William McIlvanney as the author, this is really a superb collection of black and white photos of Glasgow by the Scots-Italian photographer Oscar Marzaroli. McIlvanney contributes an essay of his memories and impressions of Glasgow, but this book is all about the photos.
I’ve owned this book for many years but was looking through it again recently. I think anyone who knows Glasgow would appreciate it, or just anyone with an interest in urban photography.
Marzaroli captured the last few years of Glasgow’s old Gorbals district prior to its demolition in the 1960s. This area was the city’s most notorious slum, indeed arguably the most notorious slum in the whole of Britain at the time. Marzaroli’s photos are from the 1960s, but many of them look as if they are from the thirties.
There are so many great photos in this collection that I am hard pressed to choose between them, but the photo below, of a working man on his tea break, is one of my favourites
Most of all, Marzaroli will probably be remembered for his scenes of the last days of the old Gorbals
April 16, 2023
I'm glad I was able to find a copy of this book. William McIlvanney, father of "Tartan Noir" along with being a quintessential bard of working class Glasgow, writes the intro and captures the intrinsic character of "Glesga": Unpretentious humanism. The city is rough and tumble and "disnae" suffer fools gladly...and yet is kind, decent, with a fierce sense of egalitarianism. I feel privileged to have experienced the city for myself...The period the book covers ends just before my first trip there...June of 1990...when it was Europe's City of Culture.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews