by Carla Caruso
A hobbyist photographer has recreated his great-grandfather’s pics of Adelaide, including scenes in the Park Lands.
The old imagery was uncovered by Alex Snow, 23, when his dad cleaned out his great-grandpa’s shed. Alex believes the late Frank Henry Dicker, who was a refrigeration mechanic, took the shots “sometime before 1970”, prior to the Festival Centre being constructed.
The discovery inspired Alex to snap his own city shots, doing his best to keep the same angles, and upload the comparisons to social news platform Reddit. We spoke to Alex about the reaction the photos got (including 562 upvotes), and beyond.
Alex’s great-grandpa, Frank Henry Dicker.
Hi, Alex. Why did you decide to recreate your great-grandfather’s pictures?
When going through the hundreds of slides with my dad, I came across a bunch that I found interesting or liked the look of - Adelaide pictures included - and moved them aside for myself.
I thought I would just take them to the original shot locations to compare them. But then I took my camera, thinking that others may find them interesting. We haven’t come across any more [images of his] from Adelaide. But there are some great photos of the Sydney Opera House being constructed that I might recreate in the future.
Adelaide Railway Station from War Memorial Drive - “This was by far the hardest to recreate as I only had one point of reference for the station,” Alex says. One Reddit user commented: “It’s interesting to see how we have more natives in our gardens these days instead of introduced species.”
Which scene surprised you the most in how much it’d changed?
I’d say the picture of the Torrens skyline and train lines, leaving the station, were very interesting to see given the number of buildings that have been constructed along the river recently.
The one that surprised me the most, though, was the [railway] station from across the river. The trees had changed so much that I didn’t even know if I was taking the photo from the correct angle, even after standing there for ages.
Montefiore Rd Bridge, facing away from the Adelaide Convention Centre. Alex says: “I took this one from a slightly alternate perspective to show all the changes.”
River Torrens/Karrawirra Parri - As Alex says: “A vastly different skyline after all the recent building additions.” One Reddit user believes dredging may be the reason for the river’s dry look in the first pic.
Did your great-grandpa’s passion for photography inspire you?
He definitely contributed to my inspiration to some degree, though I don’t think I’m at the same level as he was quite yet.
There’s always been someone in each generation of my family that has liked photography, but he had a great style of point and shoot.
Elder Park from across the river. Of the ‘before’ pic, Alex says: “No riverside path, no Festival Centre, different trees, and a relocated fountain.”
Were you surprised by the positive reaction the pics got on Reddit?
I uploaded them in the first place, knowing that the community there would be interested, and because it was public and I don’t have any personal reach to share them. It still did better than I expected though, so it’s nice to see many people enjoying them.
Adelaide University footbridge from the Victoria Drive side - “More or less the same but far less eventful,” Alex says. The students in the old pic may have been involved in some tug-of-war fun.
St Peter's Cathedral in North Adelaide - As Alex says: “For the most part, unchanged.”
