Ashgrove Prefabs
AssociatedAssociated with
Belmont Series Postcard
AssociatedAssociated with
Tolbooth
AssociatedAssociated with
Aberdeen Town House
(Aberdeen, Scotland, founded 1874)
PublisherPublished by
G and W Fraser Ltd.
PhotographerPhotographed by
G and W Fraser Ltd.
DateC.1950
Object NameNegative
MediumGlass
ClassificationsPhotography
Dimensions11.9 x 16.3cm
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS065297
About MePrefabs at Ashgrove, circa 1950. This leafy suburban housing scheme, north of the city centre, was a far cry from some of the overcrowded housing conditions then prevailing in parts of Aberdeen. These houses were a post-war response to the chronic housing shortage. They were relatively cheap to build and could be put up fast. At the end of World War 2 pressure was so great that some families squatted in redundant military camps. To ease the pressure and prevent any possible social commotion the Government supplied prefabs to local authorities. A protoype was displayed in the Tate Gallery in 1945. Aberdeen was allocated some 1500 prefabs (short for prefabricated). The houses were a revelation to the working class families fortunate to be given one. They had their own door, gardens and features such as fridge and bathroom. This was so different from standard accommodation in Aberdeen tenements, which by and large had shared toilets and no bathrooms. These temporary emergency houses lasted well beyond their expected life. The last being demolished at Tullos in the 1980s.
