The Times They Have A Changed

On a similar theme, on the corner of Cumberland Street and Queen Elizabeth Gardens there stands a statue by the artist Liz Peden depicting the Oscar Marzaroli photograph ‘Gorbals Boys’. The photo is a famous one, showing three young lads out having a laugh wearing their mothers’ high heeled shoes.

I thought of this picture recently on the way to the post office. I was walking past Benny Lynch court, from where the persistent sound of banging could be heard. A quick inspection revealed three young boys entertaining themselves with an old computer monitor, which was sitting on the middle of the road. They were happily firing boulders at the front panel.

The world has changed. Many of Marzaroli’s photographs show children at play in the streets of Glasgow. It has now become unacceptable to take such photographs of other people’s kids. I’ve no doubt that Marzaroli would have recorded this event, but if I had my camera on me, there is no way I would have been taken a photograph of the event in front of me, even though it would have been a good capture. It’s the way of the modern world and you can’t blame parents for being protective.

Had I got such a photo, though, it’s unlikely that there would have been a statue built in 40 years to commemorate it.