The Post Office Directory of Glasgow 1922-1923 (Digital Download & CD)

Step back into the vibrant, post-war era of the "Second City of the Empire."

Whether you are a genealogist tracing your family tree, a local historian researching the interwar period, or simply fascinated by the history of Glasgow, this directory is an essential resource. Reproduced from the original 1922-1923 volumes, this directory offers a complete snapshot of life in Glasgow as the city navigated the early 1920s.

Product Format & Navigation

Please note that this directory is a high-quality scan of the original book. The text is not embedded, meaning it is not strictly searchable in the traditional sense. However, the directory was meticulously compiled alphabetically, making navigation incredibly intuitive.

• Street Directory: Alphabetical by street name.
• Commercial & Trades: Alphabetical by trade and surname.
• Court Directory: Alphabetical by resident name.

Pro Tip: While the files are image-based PDFs, most modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and browser-based viewers) now offer "OCR on the fly." This allows you to use the search function (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) to locate names and keywords, significantly enhancing usability compared to older digital versions.

Why This Directory is Vital for Genealogists

For those tracking ancestors in the early 20th century, this directory fills a critical timeline gap.

• Bridging the Census Gap: The 1921 Census was a landmark release, but genealogists often need to track movements between census years. The 1931 Census was lost to fire during WWII. Therefore, directories like this from the early 1920s are crucial for verifying where your ancestors lived, what they did for a living, and when they moved, bridging the gap between the 1921 Census and the 1941 Register (which was taken under war conditions).
• Tracking Occupations: Did your ancestor change jobs after WWI? See how the industrial landscape shifted as the city moved from a wartime economy to peacetime manufacturing.

What’s Inside? A Breakdown of the Sections

This comprehensive volume is divided into distinct sections to help you find exactly what you are looking for:

1. The Street Directory: A house-by-house listing of the streets of Glasgow. This is invaluable for locating exact addresses, understanding who the neighbors were, and seeing if a house still exists today.
2. The Commercial & Trades Directory: A classified list of businesses and tradesmen. From bakers and butchers to shipbuilders and engineers.
3. The Court Directory (Private Residents): An alphabetical list of the head of households for private residences, often distinguishing between homeowners and tenants.
4. Institutional & Official Information: Listings for churches, schools, public offices, hospitals, and societies.
5. Advertisements: A fascinating collection of contemporary ads offering a glimpse into the fashion, technology, and services available to Glaswegians in 1922.

Historical Context: The Glasgow of 1922

• Industrial Powerhouse: At this time, Glasgow was one of the industrial centers of the world. A significant portion of the world's ships were built on the Clyde. This directory captures the shipbuilders, marine engineers, and iron founders who powered the city's economy.
• The Football Pioneers: The 1920s was a golden era for football in Glasgow. This directory features the residential addresses and committee members of the giants of the game, Rangers and Celtic, as well as other senior clubs like Partick Thistle, Queen’s Park, and Third Lanark.
• Famous Residents & Connections: While browsing the pages, you may come across the residences of the city’s elite. This was the era of industrial magnates like Sir James Lithgow of shipbuilding fame, and the city was home to notable figures associated with the Arts and Crafts movement, such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh, though he had left for France by 1923, his architectural influence and previous business associates may still be listed.
• Post-WWI Recovery: The city was recovering from the Great War and the trauma of the 1919 George Square strikes. The directory reflects a city in flux, with housing developments expanding to accommodate the population.

Important Disclaimer

Please be aware that during the scanning process of the original archival material, we discovered that some pages of the original maps were missing from the source book. Consequently, this digital download/CD is text-complete regarding the listings, but the original map section may be incomplete or absent.