The Cowie family was in many ways typical of an urban household before 1914. The parents came from rural backgrounds to find work in the city. The Cowie’s had seven children and stayed in a large tenement in the Cathcart area of the city.
All five sons served during the First World War which had a devastating impact on the family. Three sons had been killed and a fourth was wounded in battle. After receiving devastating news on multiple occasions their mother Elsie pleaded with the authorities for her youngest son Frank to be sent home. A tribunal granted Mr Cowie exemption for the rest of the war on the grounds of hardship and he was recalled from service in France.
Following the war, he married, emigrated and became a successful businessman in South Africa, where he died in 1975.
Artist’s Response
My piece focuses on ‘The Cowie Family’, specifically their place of residence, as I wanted to allude to the structure of their tenement home.
Lou Silver
City of Glasgow College
Lou is a mixed media artist who’s been studying at City of Glasgow College for the past three years. She enjoys working with digital and traditional mediums.
