Gallus Glasgow is a digital outreach project by Glasgow City Heritage Trust that brings Victorian Glasgow to life through the eyes of illustrator Thomas Sulman.
At the heart of the project is the extraordinary Bird’s Eye View of Glasgow, 1864 — a richly detailed map capturing the city at the height of the Victorian era. We’ve digitised, annotated and animated this remarkable work to reveal the stories behind the buildings, streets, and industries that defined Glasgow’s ‘Gilded Age.’
Why the Victorian period?
Between 1864 and 1914, Glasgow was one of the most important industrial cities in the world. A global hub for shipbuilding, textiles, design and engineering, the city grew in confidence, ambition and scale.
Through Gallus Glasgow, we explore this crucial period of transformation — one that still shapes the Glasgow we live in today.
What You’ll Find
🔍 Interactive Map
Explore a digitised version of Sulman’s Bird’s Eye View, packed with stories, commentary and historic detail.
You can also view the contemporary Knight Map, commissioned in 2022, and fade between the two to see how the city has changed.
📽️ Animations
Discover how the city grew – and the legacy it left behind – through beautifully crafted digital storytelling.
The animations follow a family of five living in 1864, with settings based on meticulous research into Glasgow’s Victorian built environment.
📝 Blogs
Hear from historians, locals and academics as we connect past and present through place.
🎟️ Events Archive
The Gallus Glasgow outreach programme ran from September 2021 to March 2022, engaging communities across the city.
All recorded events are now available exclusively to Friends in the Heritage Hub.
Our interactive Gallus Glasgow trails are available via GuidiGo to help you find out more about the fate of the buildings that are depicted on Sulman’s map.
Discover Glasgow, Then and Now
Gallus Glasgow celebrates heritage, identity and innovation. Whether you’re a lifelong Weegie or a curious visitor, this is your invitation to see Glasgow from a new perspective — one that’s proudly gallus.
