Glasgow has always been a beautiful and vibrant city - although looking back at black & white pictures it can be hard to tell.
That’s why today we wanted to comb through some restored and found footage painstakingly colourised in real-time by amateur and professional film-fans and colourists.
From the radiant blonde sandstone that emits an ethemeral glow in the sun - to the deep red brick sandstone that imposes a sanguine ambience onto the streets of Glasgow, almost like a dark French wine.
You can check out the footage in full colour in real time here:
We also combed the archives for some early 20th century pictures in black and white, which we then colourised with the help of artificial intelligence - specifically using the services of HotPot.AI. Any images colourised by
Take a look below at our gallery of 22 images of Glasgow throughout the 20th century, restored to colour and presented in chronological order.
1. George Square & the City Chambers (circa.1900)
Glasgow’s City Chambers are built in Italian Renaissance style and were opened by Queen Victoria in 1888 - in this picture they are just 12 years old. Colourised using HotPot.AI
2. 1901: Jamaica Street
Crowds in their thousands attended the premiere of the footage in Glasgow after it was premiered in the city - this footage was part of a proto-documentary which examined life in the city.
3. 1901: Jamaica Street
The traffic flowed freely down Jamaica Street as horses and carts rarely had the need to stop in the wide streets of the city centre unless approaching their destination - a far cry from travelling in central Glasgow nowadays.
4. 1901: Jamaica Street
Two well-dressed Victorian woman walk hurriedly down Jamaica Street as a tram passes in the background