Friday 15 May 2015

Belfast in detail

My eyesight is unhelpfully idiosyncratic - I'm quite shortsighted in one eye and quite longsighted in the other. By and large, the two eyes compensate for each other, but overall the equation balances out at shortsighted. It's too awkward a combination to wear varifocals, and I hate taking glasses on and off all day. So often I just don't see stuff. Much of life, in fact, looks better slightly out of focus.

But with a 100mm camera lens, I see things I never knew were there. The last couple of weekends I've been trailing that lens round my beloved home city, as you may have seen (check out Look upwards and The guardians). I've found a lot of metaphorical and literal angels in the architecture. What seemed like quite dour Victorian edifices are often decorated with bold and intricate stone carvings, elegant lettering and entirely whimsical details when you see them up close. 

Some of these details have stood up well to time and pollution. Some are well into the process of decay, but none the less beautiful for that. All lift the spirits. Every detail matters.



The Jaffe Fountain, Victoria Square



Imperial Buildings, High Street




The Scottish Provident building, Donegall Square West




The Crown Bar, Great Victoria Street




St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street




Central Library, Royal Avenue




The Garfield Bar, Lower Garfield Street



St Anne's Cathedral



Drainpipe, Donegall Square East



The Robinson & Cleaver building and the old Richardson Sons & Owden Linen Warehouse, now Marks and Spencer's, on Donegall Square North



Convent of Mercy School, Sussex Place



Gallagher's advertisement, Clifton Street




Imperial Buildings, High Street




Ampersand on the Marks and Spencer's building

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