The Frank Album

Another project introduced to me in our course notes is the Frank Album by Alec Soth. The project has it's own website, thefrankalbum.wordpress.com, where Soth writes a short introductory piece about the album and what he hopes to achieve. He has purchased a photo album of personal snapshots of a man named Frank, taken in Japan in the 1950's. In this project, Soth (2013) asks the viewers to submit a short paragraph long story to accompany each image, whether it be a "factual description" or an "imaginative speculation".

Soth's idea is to create a storybook from the images in the album and the paragraphs that the viewers submit. The truth is that we don't know who Frank is or what the photos were actually of; a holiday, a weekend away, a work excursion. Soth's project would allow an alternative story to be made for the images.

Whereas I think this is a creative idea, I cant help but feel pensive for the real story behind the images. What happened to 'Frank' and how did these photos get into Soth's hands? I cant help but wonder about the millions of photographs that I have taken over the years and the memories they hold for me. I would hate to have my own snapshots in this situation. Very sentimental for me but meaningless to others. What paragraphs or story would be created from my images? Would they make fun of them? Would they see happiness in my own sad photos or vice versa?
I think I feel quite sentimental about the notion of this kind of project. People take photos to document their lives, to remember important times, and they were taken for themselves. They are private belongings. My photos are important and priceless to me yet worthless to someone else and I feel that work like this is quite disrespectful to 'Frank'.

I don't know if it comes under the title of found photography but I have seen quite a few images lately where old photos of a location are held at the same location now to create new work. Obviously, the old photos may not necessarily be found or owned by the new photographer but I am intrigued to see the contrast of the location between the two images. This Evening Standard article by Sebastian Mann, with pictures by Gareth Richman, in 2015 combines older images (credited to Getty Images) with modern-day London. The photos are photoshopped together to create an interesting contrast between the past and present highlighting the differences in our way of life. Similar projects have been created and posted on The Telegraph's website and on the Hinkley Past and Present website.
I have always been interested in how places used to look in the past, especially with so many castles in my local area, so I always find it insightful when looking at these types of images and seeing the contrast. I live in an old market town with a plentiful history and so this was something that I would've liked to have attempted at some point. Luckily for me, there is a Facebook page  dedicated to remembering my local area, with a vast array of images from over the decades. This would be a useful to be able to take "now and then" type photos or the area, with the correct permission from the photographs owners of course. It's always in the back of my mind to do it. Maybe one day.


Bibliography
Hinkleypastandpresent.org (2016) Pictures [Online] Available  at: http://www.hinckleypastpresent.org/pictures.html [Accessed 19th October 2016]

Mann, S & Richman, G., (2015) Past and present: Historic London merges with modern-day capital  in series of impressive photographs [Online] Available at: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/black-and-white-london-merges-with-modern-day-capital-in-impressive-composite-images-10104310.html#gallery [Accessed 19th October 2016]

TheTelegraph.co.uk (2016) Christmas in LondonPast and Present: In Pictures [Online] Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/11306437/Christmas-in-London-Past-and-Present-In-pictures.html?frame=3144848 [Accessed 19th October 2016]