D-BW1: Photographs of baths and wash-houses, undated (c1920)
D-BW2: Presscutting books, 1898 - 1956
D-BW3: File of notes, correspondence, posters and press cuttings concerning the development of public baths and wash-houses in Glasgow, 1900 - 1937; Commemorative brochure on the opening of Whitevale Baths, 1902.
In 1866 the police authority in Glasgow obtained powers to establish public baths and wash-houses in the city (Glasgow Police Act 1866, 29 & 30 Vict., c.273). The corporation appears not to have done anything else in regard to the erection and equipment of bathing establishments until 1869. The first such establishment, Greenhead Baths, replaced a former public wash-house on Glasgow Green and opened in 1878. Most of the baths also had facilities for washing clothes and were known as wash-houses (or the ‘steamies’). By 1975, when the department transferred to Glasgow District Council, it was responsible for 26 public baths.
The following baths and / or wash-houses were run by the Corporation (their opening dates are in brackets):
London Road Swimming Baths (pre-existing; GC took over in 1876)
Greenhead (1878)
(North) Woodside (1882)
Cranstonhill (1883)
Townhead (1884)
Gorbals (1885)
Maryhill (1898)
Springburn (1898)
Ibrox (1901)
Kennedy Street (1899)
Kinning Park (1902)
Whitevale (1902)
Partick (1914)
Govanhill (1916)
Govan (1925)
Whiteinch (1926)
Pollokshaws (1927)
Shettleston (1929)
Drumchapel (1966)
Bellahouston (1968)
Castlemilk (1969)
Knightswood (1970)
Easterhouse (1972)
Temple (1972).
The above list was supplied with information found in 'The Glasgow Encyclopedia' compiled by Joe Fisher and the dataset relating to Glasgow Swimming Pools provided in McLauchlan, Anna (2017) 'Glasgow’s swimming pools 1804-2014', which is available at http://archive.researchdata.leeds.ac.uk/132/.
Open
Access restrictions may apply. Please contact the Archives for further information
Descriptive list available at Glasgow City Archives
Database of photographs available at Glasgow City Archives
Digitised photographs (D-BW1) available to view on the Virtual Mitchell website (www.mitchelllibrary.org).
Application for reproduction should be made to the Archivist
