Photographer presents a ‘wormhole’ to the past

(CNS): A new photographic exhibition at the National Gallery presents a new and interesting take on Cayman with a merging of the old and the new. In "Now & Then" Courtney Platt takes archive photographs and merges them with modern day shots taken from the same perspective. The result goes beyond nostalgia and is haunting in its recollection of the ‘islands that time forgot’ and its way of life. Schooners merge with helicopters and modern offices push their way into quiet street scenes. Platt describes the unique pictures as "wormholes to the past" and the creation of the exhibition as an incredibly moving experience.

“Past and current landmarks, buildings, events and generations of people blend together in a surreal and at times haunting mixture of imagery, “ said Natalie Urquhart, the gallery’s director. “They evoke a way of life that is rapidly becoming confined to memory and remind us of the importance of preserving our unique heritage before it is lost.”

The exhibition uses archive footage from the Cayman Free Press Steinmetz Collection and is open at the Gallery on Esterley Tibbetts Highway until 11 December.