Category Archives: Urban Ephemera

Urban: of a city or town. Ephemera: short-live duration or interest. Urban ephemera: the transient juxtaposition of things is our daily lives. The perfect subject for the voracious camera? It negates ephemera by rendering it permanent. Photographing ephemera is oxymoronic.

Walking 1

‘The street is the only region of valid experience’, according to Andre Breton in Najda, quoted by Matthew Beaumont in The Walker – On Finding and Losing Yourself in the Modern City (2020).  I think this is pushing the perils … Continue reading

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Bin Art

Who thought it was a good idea to try to camouflage this bin. Or is it a piece of ironic Post Modern public art?

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Europhile

Referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union.  Totals for the Cambridge City area were: remain 42, 682 (73.8%); leave 15,117 (26.2%).  Rejected ballot papers: 53.

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100 Photographs 042

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In the Pink

This gallery contains 2 photos.

‘Pink, a delicate color that means sweet, nice, playful, cute, romantic, charming, feminine, and tenderness, is associated with bubble gum, flowers, babies, little girls, cotton candy, and sweetness. The color pink is the color of universal love of oneself and … Continue reading

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Margate 3

The legend on the map instructs you breezily to ‘Enjoy Margate’; the urban grime of graffiti on the doors suggests you might want to do so warily.  Really there is much to enjoy: the beach, Dreamland, the Turner Contemporary and … Continue reading

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Red

Monday: a Egglestonesque moment in Balzano’s car park, and reading Orhan Pamuk’s My Name is Red flashed into my mind In the novel: ‘Two Europeans (“Franks” to the Turks and, to this day, Farangi to Iranians) stroll through a meadow. … Continue reading

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Gothic House, Cottenham

‘A couple must pay more than £1,100 in fines and costs after letting a Grade-II listed building fall into a dangerous state of disrepair. …. Franco Basso and Katherine Fleming failed to carry out essential repairs on the dilapidated 17th … Continue reading

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Agapanthus

The agapanthus derives its name from two Greek words: agape, which means love; and anthos, which means flower. Together, the agapanthus is the flower of love. In the traditional language of flowers it meant ‘love letter’.  Maybe this flower suggests … Continue reading

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Talking Pictures 3 – John Szarkowski

Yesterday’s post suggested that Szarkowski’s Looking at Photographs is still relevant to the way we discuss photography, but that’s not to say that everything has stayed the same.  He treats all photography as conceptual before the introduction of dry plates … Continue reading

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Security Cameras

When I went to the Out Patients of our local hospital a while back I was greeted by a disembodied voice saying, ‘For your safety and security this entrance is monitored by 24hour CCTV’.  I hadn’t felt the least bit … Continue reading

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Totem

A totem pole is carved and painted log, mounted vertically, constructed by the native people of the north-western coast of the US and Canada. They come in seven main kinds: memorial poles; grave markers; house posts; portal poles; welcoming poles; … Continue reading

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Einstein in Sheringham

Seeing this mural in Sheringham induces a double take: is it really Albert Einstein or some old crab fisher with an uncanny likeness to the great scientist?  And if it is him, what’s he doing here?  It is indeed Einstein, … Continue reading

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Vandalism or Art?

Is this graffito vandalism or public art?  If vandalism, it’s done with great skill and design flare.  If public, art it’s not very public, out along a path frequented only by occasional walkers, riders and farm tractors.  Such an urban … Continue reading

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Bra Stories

What’s the story behind this bra tied neatly in the hedgerow along the path to Quy Fen.    A retro feminist protest?  A bragging misogynist’s trophy?  A numbed and forgetful snow bather? Photo: Quy Fen, March 2018.

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