Williamwood High School Photography
Photography - Williamwood High School
‘2007 marked the bicentenary of the abolition of slavery. That anniversary sparked an effort to accept that slavery played an important role in shaping the cultural and economic growth of Glasgow and Scotland. Many important figures in Scottish history initially used the slave trade to make their fortune.
‘A group at Williamwood High School have used photography as a way of putting a different perspective on the heritage. After viewing a painting of the Glassford family in the People’s Palace, it was revealed to us that an African slave had been removed from the painting at a later date. This gave us our inspiration to represent slaves by putting them back into the picture, both metaphorically and literally.
‘The National Trust of Scotland kindly allowed us free entry into Greenbank House in East Renfrewshire to further our project. Our talented pupils took the project back to the slave days, where they placed slaves behind the gate, mimicking the past and reintroduced the slaves into interior shots of the house. We also visited other historical sights, Buchanan Street which took its name from a tobacco merchant called Andrew Buchanan. We used the Gallery of Modern Art, which was originally built in 1778 as a house for William Cunningham, one of Glasgow’s tobacco lords.
‘Utilising new equipment from the project, as well as the expertise of artist and photographer, Tim Nunn, we were able to reunite Glasgow with its slave trade heritage. In today’s society, the impact of the slaves cannot be ignored. The issue is still one that is at the forefront of today’s political agenda through the respect for Human Rights.’