Lansdowne Young Men’s Christian Association (aka L.Y.M.C.A.)

Overview

This group met in the early 1890s (at least) at Lansdowne United Presbyterian Church in the more affluent West End of Glasgow. (For more information on this church, see ‘Lansdowne UP Church‘ on TheGlasgowStory website.)  The association was one branch of the Young Men’s Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.), an organisation with connections all across Glasgow (and beyond).

The evidence that we have for this association comes from the seven extant issues of a magazine that the society members produced in manuscript. This includes one issue that was produced as an ‘Art Supplement’ (see ‘Additional Notes’ below).

We don’t know the number of members, or even their names, but from the photo (see ‘Additional Notes’ below), it appears that the group that produced and/or contributed to the magazine — and possibly the group itself — included both men and women, which was not unusual for the late nineteenth century. The Lansdowne magazine does not include lists of readers in any of the issues, and, with very few exceptions and outwith the Editors themselves, the contributors are anonymous, or they use a pen-name, or an initial or initials (presumably so that they could be identified).

Date of Existence

1890?-1892?

Source of Information

Lansdowne Young Men’s Christian Association, Our Magazine. L.Y.M.C.A. A Monthly Journal of Literature & Art (Part 1 (Nov. 1890); Part 2 (Dec. 1890); No. 3, Vol. I (25 Feb. 1891); No. 4, Vol. I (25 Apr. 1891); Part 1, Art Supplement to Our Magazine (Nov. 1891); No. II (Dec. 1891); Vol. II (Apr. 1892)

Repository

Glasgow City Archives

Reference Number

TD864/2/1-7

Additional Notes

In the ‘Art Supplement to Our Magazine’ (December 1891), there is a picture of the group with the caption ‘Our Noble Selves’.

See also entry for Our Magazine. L.Y.M.C.A. A Monthly Journal of Literature & Art on our sister website, Literary Bonds.