(Curatorial caption, accessed 23 November 2014)
In 1868 the City of Glasgow commissioned Thomas Annan to photograph the old town before improvement works could proceed. Annan did not find this an easy assignment due to the poor working conditions - light was almost entirely absent from the built-up and overcrowded closes of the slums. There, nevertheless, must have been humorous moments like the one recorded in this picture when the photographer was evidently struggling to get a clear view of the street while facing an overwhelming and curious crowd.
