Disappearing Glasgow Book

“Disappearing Glasgow” is a haunting and deeply important visual document of the city’s dramatic transformation in recent decades. Photographer Chris Leslie turned his lens on his home city of Glasgow and mapped the story of large-scale demolition and regeneration — the heavy cost of “progress” and the communities it affects

Leslie’s project began around 2008, when hundreds of high-rise tower blocks across Glasgow were being systematically demolished as part of regeneration efforts. Towers weren’t simply buildings: for many they were home, community, memory. “Disappearing Glasgow” captures that moment of erasure — the flattening of long-familiar tenements and estates, the displacement of residents, the changing face of the city.

In doing so, the book becomes a kind of civic memory-keeper. It reminds us that when places vanish, identities and lives shift too. As Leslie himself said in an interview: “We’re witnessing a major turning point in Glasgow’s social history and these tower blocks needed to be documented before they disappear.”

The visual power of the book — showing empty flats, boarded-up corridors, abandoned amenities — makes visible the after-effects of urban planning decisions, often far from the glamour of new builds and “regeneration” PR. It challenges the narrative that demolition automatically means improvement.

“Disappearing Glasgow” is more than a photo-book: it is a historical record, a social commentary, an elegy for lost places and a prompt for reflection about where Glasgow has been and where it is going. For anyone interested in urbanism, social housing, community history or simply the evolving face of Glasgow, it remains a vital work — even in its scarcity.

In addition to Chris’s photography, also included are six short essays by Professor Johnny Rodger, Malcolm Fraser, Kirsten Paton, Barnabas Calder, Rory Olcayto, and Karen Anderson.

The book is sold out – both first and second editions are out of print