History Comes Alive
A group of students from the history club at Skipton Academy took part in the three-month ‘Then and Now’ project. Led by professional photographer Simon Mooney and supported by a digital artist and library staff, the students explored The Rowley Collection, an archive of historic photographs of Skipton.
The students had the unique opportunity to identify the photographs they wanted to recreate in the present day and then use digital photography techniques to take a modern-day version of the photograph. With the guidance of Mooney, they then used photo editing software to combine the two images into a composite ‘Then and Now’ image.
The students thoroughly enjoyed their experience, finding the opportunity to connect with their local history both exciting and enlightening. “I learned so much about Skipton and its history,” said one of the participants. “It was so much fun to see the old photographs and then go out and take pictures of the same places and objects.”
The final images from the project will eventually be used to create a Skipton town trail which will be featured on an interactive augmented-reality app called What Was Here. This app will allow users to explore the town and virtually travel back in time through the composite ‘Then and Now’ images.
The students found the experience of working with a professional photographer to be invaluable. “Simon was so patient with us and gave us lots of guidance and advice,” said another participant. “He was also very encouraging and helped us to get the most out of our photographs.”
The ‘Then and Now’ project was a great success and the students of Skipton Academy were thrilled to have the opportunity to become part of their local history. Thanks to the expertise of Simon Mooney and the dedication of the students, the town of Skipton will soon have an exciting new way to explore its past.
