A chief photographer’s look back at times old and new has gone on show in the North East.

The Hartlepool Mail’s Tom Collins has trawled the archives to display almost 150 photographs of the town and surrounding areas, some of which date back over 100 years.

The exhibition mimics the Mail’s ‘Memory Lane’ feature by containing the original picture alongside the same view today, taken by Tom.

He said: “The result is a part social history, part architectural record and part nostalgia.

“It gives a real insight into how the area has changed – and sometimes stayed the same – with the passing years.

“My personal favourite is a view across the town from the top of Park Towers, the old Co-op building, looking towards the back-to-back houses.

“That captures the town as I think most people remember it and for me it has great resonance and poignancy.”

Some of the original images come from the Mail’s archives with others lent by readers, a local museum and transport enthusiasts.

View of what was the Northern Daily Mail’s office taken in the 60s

How the Hartlepool Mail’s office looks today

A view down Musgrave Street during the 1920s to the Co-Op Building

And how the area looks today

Comments

Valerie Flynn (20/08/2010 09:07:01)
Tom Collins has proven that he is the master archivist of Hartlepool’s social history.So much incredible architectural richness has been lost or wantonly destroyed that the importance of Tom’s collection cannot be overestimated. I hope his example will spur others on to collect, display, share and discuss old photographs, newspaper items or family heirlooms of social and historical significance with others.