About the Old Garforth Photos Project

I first started this project in the sunny Summer of 2007 by scanning old photographs from books and then attempting to take modern photographs which aligned with them as closely as possible. I later found out that this is called ‘rephotography’ though I didn't know that at the time. This coincided with me buying my first DSLR camera and taking up more of an interest in photography.

I made each photo as close as possible however they are never exact as cameras have changed a great deal in terms of lenses and formats plus finding the correct spot to stand isn't always easy. Indeed, it would sometimes involve standing for example in the middle of a busy road where it's not safe. Some rephotography projects go much further and seek to exactly align the images but that's beyond the scope of what I've done here.

The site remained untouched for quite some time (mainly due to me starting a leather business) but as of 2019 I am now revamping the pages and providing better quality versions of some of the photographs that I have found. I will also be taking additional comparison photos and identifying where these are possible. I am also collecting and researching old postcards of Garforth which has led to a treasure trove of new photos to add to the pages.

I have updated the layout of the pages so the comparison photos sit side by side where possible and I have also simplified the amount of pages that are available. Rather than having around 45 pages there are now only 8 main pages; these cover the four roads surrounding Garforth (Selby Road, Wakefield Road, Aberford Road, Ninelands Lane) plus the four main roads dividing the centre of the town (Main St. (N), Church Lane (E), Lidgett Lane (S) and Barleyhill Road (W)). In the time period which most of the photos are from everything in between was mostly fields.

As Internet speeds are so much faster than they were years ago there's less need to worry about having longer pages filled with images which are ultimately easier to sit down and enjoy.

As you can see in the adjacent image I am also taking the time bring the postcards back to life where possible as many are faded and marked making it hard to see the detail.

With a little time spent in Photoshop on each one they can be greatly enhanced so it's worth taking the time to do.

Support

If you would like to send a donation to help with the project please click the Paypal donate button below (you do not need a Paypal account you can also use a card). All donations are gratefully received and help to cover the cost of buying the postcards which quickly adds up! I have also spent countless hours creating the site for others to enjoy.