What did George Square used to look like? Here are 20 amazing pictures of the Glasgow square in the 1950s and 1960s

Named after King George III, Glasgow’s George Square is the city’s principal civic square, surrounded by ornate buildings including City Chambers and Merchants’ House - as well as the recently-redeveloped Queen Street train station.

It dates back to 1781 but wasn’t fully developed until the early 19th century and contains a collection of important statues and monuments, including the Cenotaph and those dedicated to Robert Burns, James Watt, Sir Robert Peel and Sir Walter Scott.

A historic meeting place, it has been the scene of numerous protests and events, including the so-called Battle of George Square in 1919, when up to 100,000 engineers campaigning for a 40-hour working week.

Read more: Leith Heritage in Pictures: Here are 28 fascinating photos of Edinburgh's Leith in the 1950s and 1960s

Over the years the square has gone through a number of facelifts and redevelopments, including for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The most recent renovation started in 2024, with the first phase reopened earlier this month to a mixed reaction.

The remainder of the £40 million development is expected to be unveiled in October.

To mark the new look square we’re taking a trip down Memory Lane to how it looked over six decades ago.

Here are 20 pictures of George Square from the 1950s and 1960s.

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