Manchester Blitz, Then & Now.
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Manchester Blitz, Then & Now
Portland Street with the corner of Aytoun Street on the left and the corner of Parker Street on the right.
The Mercure Hotel stands where the burning building (a cotton warehouse) in the photo below stood.
A tatty map showing my approximate viewpoint and field of view on Portland Street, Manchester.
Same scene Christmas Eve 1940. © IWM, photo used with IWM Non-Commercial Licence
www.iwm.org.uk/corporate/privacy-copyright/licence
Below. The view from Piccadilly Gardens on Greater Manchester Police photostream.
The composite image below is taken from the same location above but looking right, i.e along Parker Street towards Mosely Street. So the burning buildings in the top photo would be on the left and behind.
This is terrific Ian …..the top shot stands on its own right as a great image …..expecting an explore for its style ……but my fave is the composite shot at the end …those people even seem to be looking at the burning building !
Excellent work mate!
Excellent work.. Your composite images are superb..
Fascinating, thank you so much for this Ian.
Always amazing to see the then and now pics. It’s changed quite a bit… by the looks of it, them original buildings were well and truly blitzed. Can’t begin to imagine what it must have been like to live through that.
Hey, you were stood in a precarious place… cars must have been whizzing past both sides of you!
Fantastic job again Ian
That top shot is bang on mate.
How the heck the cars missed you is anyone’s guess! 🙂
Many thanks everyone
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/amybigkiss] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/longsidepies]
I was on a traffic island, braced against a lamp post and zoomed in a bit!
I do look forward to these insights into the past – another great series and investigation work from the master!
Brilliant set of shots. Love it
Fantastic again – great to see you again.
Brilliant Ian, keep up the good work. (even like the tatty map 🙂 )
Brilliant Ian, keep up the good work. (even like the tatty map 🙂 )
Wonder what the traffic thought of you stood there in the midst of all the toings and froings (I don’t think I’ve got the spelling right on those words).
Superb light trails and another well constructed composite.
Brilliant stuff Ian. Imagine the heat that must have put out! As to living through that time – most folk were made of more sterling stuff back then I think judging by what goes down these days.
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/pasujoba44] is right – they do seem to be looking. Fascinating work as always 🙂
splendid
Fantastic shot and great idea to do the comparison i.e. pick the same POV.
brilliant work ian great processing , great photos , brilliant
Fantastic work with the composite images Ian – must take a lot of effort in finding the sites and then lining up modern photos with the old! Agree with Paul on his comment re the last photo!
What a wonderful set of images, especially the main one. :~}
!! were you standing mid – traffic? !!
those trails add a sense of astonishing speed, love the starry light watching over it all. great addition to the series Ian.
The top photo is pretty special by itself, that low down light trail effect that wraps itself round you, then the addition of the other photos and story adds even more depth. Great work
Great stuff mate, love these composites.
Nice job with the light trails, did you take your tripod out for a change? ; -)
ah, noticed the road paintwork and then just read traffic island, glad you were safe.
Thankyou for sharing
with the War Stories Group
Love these. It’s like a bit of time travelling right there in front of you on Flickr. Horrible to see such destruction though!
what a difference
great shot Ian
sensational shot I love it ^_^
Great picture and work. Thanks for sharing these infos.
love this sense of motion
Brilliant work Ian!
It doesn’t look like you’re standing in a perfectly safe spot while taking this shot, but it was worth taking a risk! As Paul said, great shot on its own.
Manchester has changed a lot. In my hometown, you can distinguish between the old and present-day photos only judging from the passers-by clothing 😉
Fab.
Clever shot – well done