A new artwork commemorating a lost mining village in the north of Glasgow is to be unveiled on Saturday 29th April at a community event at Lambhill Stables.
Entitled The Shangie, this large format drawing reconstructs the row of cottages at Lochfauld, whose nickname gives the piece its title. Lochfauld was one of several such rows, including Mavis Valley, Laigh Possil and Jellyhill, that appeared along the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal around the 1850s at the height of the Industrial Revolution.
The artwork has been commissioned from documentary artist and illustrator Mitch Miller as part of Coal, Cottages and Canals, a community history project supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund, which is researching the vanished communities between Lambhill and Bishopbriggs.
Throughout the late 19th century, these settlements grew rapidly in support of the industries they were built to serve, but by the 1950s, as the mines closed and the work moved elsewhere, they had been largely abandoned. Now, almost no trace of these once-thriving communities remains. By incorporating oral histories, rare photography and archive research, Mitch Miller has attempted to recreate elements of life in the rows through the 100 years of their existence.
The unveiling marks the culmination of the Coal, Cottages and Canals project. Lambhill Stables’ History Group has been working with community archaeologists Northlight Heritage and curators from the Open Museum to gain insights from the past in order to present a vivid picture of Glasgow’s changing landscape that future generations can enjoy.
The Shangie will be displayed permanently in the grounds of the Stables, allowing visitors to gain a deeper insight into Lambhill’s history. An accompanying booklet is also being launched alongside the artwork. The Coal, Cottages and Canals museum exhibition continues throughout the building until October.
Colin Clark, Heritage Coordinator for Lambhill Stables, said, “We’re thrilled to present Mitch Miller’s work at Lambhill Stables. His approach has been meticulous in its preparation and detailed in its execution. The Shangie positively teems with life, much as the whole area once did. The grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund has allowed us to shine a light into a part of Glasgow’s past that’s in danger of disappearing for good. We hope visitors come away with a deeper appreciation of what life along the canal was like and that they understand a bit more about the lost communities that played such a vital role in growing our city’s fortunes.”