Old photography of Hartlepool Billboards.
Rather than just taking an interest into how billboards in hartlepool look in my landscape photography, I thought it may be helpful to research in more depth around billboards especially in this area. When actually looking for information on todays billboards in hartlepool i found old images of hartlepool and its billboards. I did not even realise billboards would date this far back.
Its interesting to compare how the town looks today and what the billboards actually advertise, what they look like and where they are placed compared to what it was like in the past.
"Billboards on the entrance to Throston Bridge, old Hartlepool"
"Raby Road."
This images does not look composed very well at all. This therefore leads me to question why the image was taken? it looks to me as though the image was almost taken in a rush; the photographer wants the viewer to focus on this large building in the centre of the image? is that because of something to do with the building itself or is the focused supposed to be on the billboard on the side? By the looks of what is advertised on the billboard i am led to believe this image was taken during the era of the second world war. the bill board reads "a power for peace." its extremely interesting to see such things being advertised on billboards at this time as i think to what advertisements I've seen on modern day billboards in hartlepool, its all just bargain food, bargain clothes or things to do with television. -all consumer based.
"Large billboard posters at the corner of Raby Road and Perth Street."
This image in particular appears to show that in comparison to now, billboards in hartlepool were a lot more bold and fun and placed in much larger and more visible areas. These images don't actually have a date on them however it may be easy to surmise that these date back to a time when hartlepool or the north east region as a whole was doing well in terms of wealth, as a lot is being advertised a lot of what appears to be items to buy. The buildings look as though they stand tall and proud, and look fairly newly built.
No photographer in particular can be found responsible for any of these images, so this leads to wonder what the purpose was for these landscape street images. Where they for a purpose such as aiming to make hartlepool look appealing and well off? or are they just ordinary street photographs taken by a photographer for no particular use.
From a photographers point of view i very much like the angle this particular image has been taken from. I like how the viewer facers the corner of the street head on, meaning the eye is then drawn down both the left and right hand sides of the image. This image reminds me of some of the images i have been capturing myself.
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