This week in Local and Community History Month we hear from Hannah White, who has creatively re-used some images from our Leodis archive to show contrasts and continuities between Town Street in Armley, then and now…
You can read much more about Armley in our mini-series of articles, or explore our Armley research guide to see some highlights from our local history collections.
Delving into the history of an area you were brought up in can cause you to experience a whirlwind of emotions, from sentimentality to a sense of loss and happiness. This project is a testament to the deep connection we all have to our hometowns and how the streets we all once roamed hold special places in our hearts.
Through juxtaposed images viewers are transported through time, showing the deep history of a street that is often overlooked and forgotten.
The project centres on ‘Town Street’ found in the inner-city suburb of Armley, Leeds. Its aim is to explore the collective memories shared by myself and the community. By highlighting the unique journey of the street using archived images found on Leodis it showcases the evolution of a street, that over the years that has been faced with numerous challenges but still preserves the same values and community spirit.
The research was a crucial part of this project to achieve the end goal of showing the history and the evolution of the street, but also allow a viewer connection to the project. Through the archived images found on Leodis (with the permission of the copyright holders) and updated images, the project can hold many connections. The archived images allow the viewers who know the area very well to connect to the project much differently, creating feelings of sentimentality and mixed emotions, different to those who have only ever just passed through and/or never visited the street.
Photomontage was introduced to the project for the artistic development of the images, creating diversity in the images, that reflects the diversity of the street. The compositions of the archived and updated images in a way where both images are visible and easily read show the deep history within the street, whilst keeping the sentimental aspect to the images. Through the art of psychogeography, images were created with fresh eyes, by becoming a tourist in an area I knew very well, meant that I could capture and the see the street in a new way.
Showcased though images are various places on Town Street, some have changed to grow with the ever-changing world, some much like the ever-popular Malt Shovel have stayed the same.
This project is a testament to my hometown, a place that will forever stay in my heart, much like those who are proud to call it home.
All images are (c) Hannah White with permission sought from original copyright holders via our Leodis service
The Leodis images used by Hannah are (in order):-
The Secret Library | Leeds Libraries Heritage Blog 
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