Portraits on Portland documents a neighbourhood in transition,
celebrating the people and places along a 5-block strip of the Old
Dartmouth section of Portland Street, Nova Scotia's first incorporated
town.
"It's a great exhibit, personal and universal. Intimate. I felt like the photographer was confident and made the subjects feel both safe and exposed at the same time. I felt like I was at a NYC exhibit looking at images of the shopkeepers of Manhattan. And there was such a buzz in the room! Huge congrats to you. Really exciting work Hannah!" Ann-Marie Kerr, theatre director, Halifax
"It's a great exhibit, personal and universal. Intimate. I felt like the photographer was confident and made the subjects feel both safe and exposed at the same time. I felt like I was at a NYC exhibit looking at images of the shopkeepers of Manhattan. And there was such a buzz in the room! Huge congrats to you. Really exciting work Hannah!" Ann-Marie Kerr, theatre director, Halifax
Phylis Grady, Janet's Flowers
Robin Washtock, Hiltz Shoe Repair
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Rose Adams, artist
Mrs Fisher, Fisher's Stationary
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The Idea
The project began when I moved to Dartmouth just over two years ago. To connect with my new community, I began talking with people I met while walking along on Portland Street –having my 2-year old daughter in tow was a natural ice-breaker! I noticed empty stores filling with small businesses while others closed. Donald, who sits on the steps next to the TD bank looking for change or a smoke, would come and go with the seasons. Over the course of my walks, I became more and more curious about the people that make up the city and the history behind it.
What I witnessed daily in this small section of the downtown core –the sense of community, the struggle between old and new– moved me to use my camera and audio recorder to document details along Portland Street. Over the past year, I have returned many times through the seasons and have expanded my explorations into the heart of the street, uncovering its history through the records at the Dartmouth Heritage Museum, Alderney Library and the Nova Scotia Public Archives.
By profiling the lives, personalities, and compassion of the inhabitants of the street I hope that Portraits on Portland will reanimate old Dartmouth, in particular Portland Street, and will encourage open conversation around identity, environment, community and history. I believe this living testament will cast Portland Street in a meaningful way to residents and visitors alike.
The Exhibition
Portraits on Portland will be presented as a series of large prints with digital projections of historic images at the Craig Gallery, Alderney Landing, Nova Scotia from Sept 6 - 23, 2012.
The project began when I moved to Dartmouth just over two years ago. To connect with my new community, I began talking with people I met while walking along on Portland Street –having my 2-year old daughter in tow was a natural ice-breaker! I noticed empty stores filling with small businesses while others closed. Donald, who sits on the steps next to the TD bank looking for change or a smoke, would come and go with the seasons. Over the course of my walks, I became more and more curious about the people that make up the city and the history behind it.
What I witnessed daily in this small section of the downtown core –the sense of community, the struggle between old and new– moved me to use my camera and audio recorder to document details along Portland Street. Over the past year, I have returned many times through the seasons and have expanded my explorations into the heart of the street, uncovering its history through the records at the Dartmouth Heritage Museum, Alderney Library and the Nova Scotia Public Archives.
By profiling the lives, personalities, and compassion of the inhabitants of the street I hope that Portraits on Portland will reanimate old Dartmouth, in particular Portland Street, and will encourage open conversation around identity, environment, community and history. I believe this living testament will cast Portland Street in a meaningful way to residents and visitors alike.
The Exhibition
Portraits on Portland will be presented as a series of large prints with digital projections of historic images at the Craig Gallery, Alderney Landing, Nova Scotia from Sept 6 - 23, 2012.
