Since its birth in the 19th century, photography has captured the development of cities around the world, documenting the often huge changes in the urban landscape.
UrbanPhotoFest, an annual photographic arts festival focusing on cities and urban spaces, kicks off in London on 3 November. “We believe that photography plays an important role in opening up debates about urban change, voice and the condition of the city,” the festival organisers explain. The main theme this year is “photography, memory and archive”, exploring how the city operates as a living archive and how historical photographs visualise and politicise daily life of the past.
As cities swiftly change, photographs can capture urban destruction, decay, genesis and renewal; buildings lost, or iconic structures being built; the trappings of daily life gone by; transformed neighbourhoods and social history.
We’d love to see your old photos capturing urban places that have since changed – whether it’s your local neighbourhood or a city you visited, five years ago or five decades ago. You can submit photos and stories using GuardianWitness (by clicking on the blue “contribute” button) and we’ll feature a selection on Guardian Cities. Please ensure they are photographs you have permission to share.
- GuardianWitness is the home of readers’ content on the Guardian. Contribute your video, pictures and stories, and browse news, reviews and creations submitted by others. Posts will be reviewed prior to publication on GuardianWitness, and the best pieces will feature on the Guardian site.
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