Flashing back to another century

BALLARAT photographer Craig Holloway is inviting everyone to take a look at the city through the lens of the early twentieth century.

His latest exhibition, Ballarat: Rediscovered, is showcasing a collection of photos from the turn of the previous century, and launched last Saturday at the Old Butchers Shop Gallery,

Each photo has been restored by Holloway himself and drawn from the book, Ballarat and District In 1901.

“A couple photographers were employed for it to go around and photograph shopfronts, streetscapes and just life in the city at that time,” he said.

“I’ve had these images for about 10 or 12 years, and I’ve always wanted an outlet for them, so I thought it was time to show it to Ballarat.”

Holloway said his touch-up was minimal, and that he’d “left the imperfections” like brightness and hairline exposure on the finished pictures.

More than 24 photos are on display, accompanied by a retrospective slideshow that will contrast at least 80 photos from the book with Holloway’s present-day comparisons.

“Some of those buildings have stayed pretty much the same, and for others I was walking up and down the street trying to find some element that would tie into how they looked back then,” he said.

“The shape of the windows would sometimes give it away, or the design of the top of the building.”

Historian Dr Phil Roberts served as a guest speaker for the launch on Saturday, 7 May, while Federation University lecturer Dr David Waldron will give a speech on Saturday, 21 May.

Both framed and unframed prints will be available for sale in various sizes throughout the exhibition’s run.

Holloway said he hopes people will come away from gallery with a greater appreciation of Ballarat’s architectural history.

“This is a pretty well preserved city, but people were more out the front of their shops, they had displays out the front of the street which really comes across in the photographs,” he said.

“This provides a snapshot of what Ballarat used to look like and the changes it’s undergone in the last century. It was definitely a different time.”