Once Salone: Freetown's then and now

19 Oct 2011 | Once Salone: Freetown's then and now

After discovering a host of old postcards from, mostly, colonial Sierra Leone, I realised it would be interesting to compare the old and the new. A few of the places were easily identified, but some took some clever deduction while others were practically impossible to pinpoint.
Interestingly, some of the postcards which seemed easily identifiable turned out to be amongst the hardest to locate. For one, some photos showing what seemed like the exact same road, claimed to be on opposite sides of the inner city. This, while neither location appeared to be just right.

Either way, the result is an interesting mix of old and new, the images creating a portal into Sierra Leone's, specifically Freetown's, past, creating a window into a period when the city was perhaps more organized and, likely, a time in which life, in many ways, was much simpler, or maybe much quieter.

The original postcards came from sierra-leone.org, while valuable insights were gleaned from delcampe.com. A very useful (partial) map of Freetown, dating from 1947, was essential for locating a few more obscure corners of the city.
Many thanks to Ed Ramsey, who was essential in locating several of the spots and who's participation was essential for making sure I'd get out of bed early enough on three consecutive Sunday mornings, the only time of the week in which the inner city is somewhat quiet.

For sale

All the works are up for sale. Select a photo in the grid below and click on the 'Buy Print' link below it. Note that "Premium prints" are shipped from both the UK and the US (allowing for affordable shipping in the US and Europe), but that all other work is shipped from the US.
Printing is handled by Fotomoto.

Exhibition

Most of the prints are on show, and for sale, at Bliss in Freetown (Sierra Leone), from January 13 until January 20. The opening will be on January 13 at 7pm.