Student Rea Sachdeva was thrilled when a friend showed her some old black and white negatives dating back to 1970 that he’d picked up in a Bristol charity shop.
The portraits by a mystery photographer featured bygone owners and staff at work in the independent north Bristol shopping area of Gloucester Road where she was living while studying at the University of Bristol. They inspired Rea, now a graduate in Chemical Physics, to recreate the spirit of the collection in the present day, capturing the stories of the vibrant and unique businesses that have followed in their footsteps 50 years later.
As you can see in the amazing gallery below, the old images perfectly encapsulate a bygone age, particularly the fashions, the hairstyles, the displays and the prices, still in pounds, shillings and pence. A calendar hanging up in the butchers with the page turned to April 1970, meant the images were easy to date.
See more pictures in our gallery below
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Forgotten moments come alive in long lost pictures from 1970s Bristol
Rea’s friend Lucas Arthur discovered the developed but unprinted shots in Oxfam in Westbury on Trym, with a few rolls of film and a camera, but no clue to the identity of their previous owner. Rea explains: “It's likely the family member of someone who had passed donated them. There were some other images that were more personal, involving a family in St Andrews Park, so it would be nice to find the relatives of the photographer.”
Now taking a Masters in science in her home city of London, Rea captured her modern versions, like the one above, earlier this year and all the photos can be seen on her Gloucester Road project website. She says: “The conversations I've had have really inspired me to continue to buy from local and independent businesses and to support our local communities. I hope you feel the same and we can continue to keep the independent spirit of Gloucester Road alive.”
Do let us know if you recognise any of the faces and places and what memories the images conjure up for you in the comments section below.
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