In 1914, as thousands were recruited to work in armaments manufacture or the shipyards, overcrowding took hold. Landlords took advantage of the demand for housing and began pushing up rents.
As a result political activism in Glasgow grew where women campaigned for many social improvements, with Mary Barbour recognised as a galvanising force of the movement. On 17 November, 1915, thousands of Glaswegians united with her against the profiteering landlords who had driven up rents.
Mrs Barbour and her husband David had moved from Dumbarton to Govan at the turn of the century. While raising two young children, she continued with the political activism that she had begun before the war. She joined groups such as the Scottish Co-operative Women’s Guild and Socialist Sunday Schools, and became a member of the Independent Labour Party, in what was to become known as Red Clydeside.
The newly formed Glasgow Women’s Housing Association gave a voice to mothers struggling to survive in the teeming tenements. Mrs Barbour set up the South Govan branch, and was quickly joined by many housewives. She arranged meetings in kitchens and tenement closes, and developed her network of activists. They banded together to oppose evictions, using bells and rattles to quickly mobilise a crowd to drive off the bailiffs. Their refusal to pay the inflated rents was supported by shipyard and factory workers who threatened to strike to support those facing eviction.
Artist’s Response
I researched the story of Mary Barbour who was a political activist and an advocate for women’s rights. She led the South Govan Woman’s Housing Association during the Glasgow rent strikes in 1915 and was one of the founders of the Woman’s Peace Crusade in 1916. By 1924 she became a Bailie and one of the first Woman Magistrates of Glasgow.
For making the woodcut, I decided to focus on objects that held significant importance for what Mary Barbour achieved so I continued my research to find these connections. The Bell is an important object for Mary Barbour’s story as they were used to warn Govan women inside the tenements of an approaching Bailiff Officer. This allowed the women to then chase them away by throwing wet clothes and flour at them to prevent them from evicting a tenant. Inside the bell I used images of the Glasgow Rent strikes protests as it reflects on her achievements as a leader and activist. Along the sides of the block contains outlines of tenement houses and poppies to signify the time period and her contribution towards the war.
Gemma Caldwell
City of Glasgow College
instagram: @g.coldwell_art
Gemma is currently studying BA (Hons) Contemporary Art Practice at City of Glasgow College. After she finishes her degree, Gemma hopes to study a PDGE course in Teaching. She is currently exploring anthropomorphic art and the emotional connections we associate with objects.
