A couple of months ago, Margaret and I went to the monthly antiques fair (as we always do). I think I may have just dropped off some pens for repair by Peter Crook, but I didn’t buy anything. Margaret scored [this part deleted, ’cos it would reveal something that will be a gift for someone] and a couple of reproductions of antique postcards of sights in our area. One of those shows Byres Road as it looked in the early twentieth century:
So this morning, on our way to the Kelvingrove for the Glasgow International’s display of Richard Wright’s works on paper, I took a photo of Byres Road from what we estimated was the correct position on the street (it should actually have been nearer the pavement), and when I came home I pasted the old postcard onto the contemporary photo:
As I said, they don’t align perfectly, because I had the angle wrong; but considering the circumstances, I’m pretty pleased with the result. And when I was nudging the older image around over the newer, there were moments when some feature of the images — say, a particular chimney or a cornice — aligned perfectly, and I got a chill. Have I mentioned that I love living here?
I am so glad that you like the place so much AKMA. Glasgow is special in a way that few expect and I feel lucky to have grown up with it as my local big city.