Personal story Our class was preparing an exhibition about local history. I borrowed my grandfather’s old camera to photograph buildings that had changed over time. I wanted to include the station, but construction workers had placed a fence around its front entrance, so I could not take the picture I had imagined.

Our teacher had asked each group to choose a place that mattered to people in the town. Some classmates chose the river, while others were researching the shopping street. I chose the station because my grandfather had often told me about meeting friends there after school. He remembered a small clock above the entrance and wondered whether it was still there. Before going out, I looked at an old town map and marked the station and nearby streets. I hoped to take a photograph from the same direction as an older image. When I arrived, however, the work around the entrance made that impossible. The fence hid much of the building at street level, and I did not want to enter the area where people were working. I wanted the display to show change without suggesting that every change was either good or bad. A photograph from the right position could let visitors notice the details for themselves and discuss what they remembered.

My friend suggested asking a shop owner across the street whether we could photograph the station from her second-floor window. The owner agreed after we explained our project. From there, we could see both the old clock and the new entrance being built. I took several photographs and thanked her for her help.

At school, we placed my photograph next to an older picture from the town library. Visitors could compare the two and see which parts had changed. Before the exhibition opened, I returned the camera to my grandfather and showed him the display. He recognized the clock immediately and told us another story about the station.

Personal story Our class was preparing an exhibition about local history. I borrowed my grandfather’s old camera to photograph buildings that had changed over time. I wanted to include the station, but construction workers had placed a fence around its front entrance, so I could not take the picture I had imagined.

Our teacher had asked each group to choose a place that mattered to people in the town. Some classmates chose the river, while others were researching the shopping street. I chose the station because my grandfather had often told me about meeting friends there after school. He remembered a small clock above the entrance and wondered whether it was still there. Before going out, I looked at an old town map and marked the station and nearby streets. I hoped to take a photograph from the same direction as an older image. When I arrived, however, the work around the entrance made that impossible. The fence hid much of the building at street level, and I did not want to enter the area where people were working. I wanted the display to show change without suggesting that every change was either good or bad. A photograph from the right position could let visitors notice the details for themselves and discuss what they remembered.

My friend suggested asking a shop owner across the street whether we could photograph the station from her second-floor window. The owner agreed after we explained our project. From there, we could see both the old clock and the new entrance being built. I took several photographs and thanked her for her help.

At school, we placed my photograph next to an older picture from the town library. Visitors could compare the two and see which parts had changed. Before the exhibition opened, I returned the camera to my grandfather and showed him the display. He recognized the clock immediately and told us another story about the station.