The South Tyneside town of Jarrow has a long and proud history. In a new book, past meets present in a striking collection of merged then-and-now photographs. Jarrow Reflections is the latest offering by photographer and local historian Paul Perry who was born and bred in the town and has published a creditable 27 books on the subject.
Paul says: “The purpose of this book is to portray ordinary people in an ordinary town going about their business which provides us with a snapshot in time.” Jarrow’s early history is associated with its medieval monastery, home of the Anglo-Saxon scholar Bede, but much of the town developed later during the Industrial Revolution when coal mining and shipbuilding became the dominant industries in the area.
The closure of Palmer’s shipyard in the 1930s dealt a serious blow to the town’s prosperity and led to a march for jobs in 1936, the Jarrow Crusade, which made national and international news, and for which the town is still remembered nearly nine decades later.
By the start of the Second World War, new industries opened in the town: a ship-breaking yard, an engineering works and a steelworks. The docks were largely filled in after the last shipyard closed in the 1980s and the town has undergone much redevelopment in recent decades.
Paul says: “Jarrow Reflections features a collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. The pictures in the book combine a recent colour view of Jarrow with the matching sepia archive scene.
Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time.”
Each photograph in the book is accompanied by explanatory text, providing fascinating historical glimpses into one of Tyneside’s most famous towns. The 10 images below are representative of the 180 that appear in the book. Familiar Jarrow locations such as the Ben
Lomond pub, the Town Hall and Christ Church are presented in a new light where past meets present in the same image.
Jarrow Reflection by Paul Perry, published by Amberley, retails at £15.99. The book is on sale at WH Smith, Waterstones, local museums and can alo be acquired from the author who can be emailed at [email protected]. The book is also available direct from the publisher via this link: https://www.amberley-books.com/jarrow-reflections.html
This post was originally published on here
