Defining what is hidden in a city is not easy. In some cases, buildings are not open to public view, well off the beaten track, or are simply forgotten amidst the rapidly changing environment of a fast growing city. In other cases, we are looking at the building the wrong way and only seeing one aspect of its past life, and in others we are looking at them from the wrong perspective. A darker side hides things that a city would rather forget. From the golden merchant ship on top of the Merchant's House, through the abandoned Britannia Panopticon Music Hall on Argyle Street, from the schoolroom in the attic of Trades House to the Lock Hospital for 'dangerous women', Carol Foreman takes us through the Glasgow we walk through every day and makes us see it with a different eye. From the top of the Tolbooth steeple to the many tunnels and preserved buildings under the ground, she reveals the essence of a great city in all its dimensions and brings to life a Glasgow both hidden and forgotten.

In this hugely enlightening book, Carol Foreman investigates the origins of many of Glasgow's street names, examining the influences and inspirations for many of the city's most famous thoroughfares, from local association and sentimentality to the influence of royalty, distinguished individuals and historical events. There is a story in the name of almost every street and district in Glasgow, with some even bearing names bestowed on them in Pagan times, long before Glasgow could even be called a city. As well as street names, the origin of districts such as Cowcaddens, Gorbals and Polmadie are given along with those of the River Clyde, the Molendinar Burn and some buildings with unusual names such as the Bucks Head building in Argyle Street. This new revised edition examines the famous street names in the city centre from the M8 to the north bank of the River Clyde, to Glasgow Green and Bridgeton in the east and to Kingston Bridge in the west, with new material examining the Gorbals and the West End of the city, and with newly acquired illustrations and photography.

In this informative and beautifully illustrated book, Carol Foreman traces Glasgow's history through buildings which have been demolished, but which once played a central part in the life of the city. Beginning with the medieval age, she goes on to look at a massive selection of buildings right through to the 1930s. The result is a fascinating picture of how the city evolved and how major events over the centuries affected its trade, people and environment. Churches, banks, hospitals, theatres, cinemas as well as domestic buildings all feature in this illuminating journey through Glasgow's rich architectural past.