The City of Bath -
Enduring Structures &
Transient Lives
A photobook by Paul J Gooch
Inspired by the streets and buildings of Bath (my hometown), I have spent the last few years capturing the interplay of timeless architecture with fleeting moments of human life. Whilst contemplating the passage of time, this collection invites you to explore the juxtaposition of enduring buildings and the transient lives passing through them.
If you want to know more about the architectural history of Georgian Bath, Palladian architectural influence or key places to visit when investigating Bath's enduring architectural legacy, this photobook will provide an interesting and informative point of reference.
I am excited to advise that the photobook has now been been printed and bound to a professional standard. If you would like to obtain a copy - then please use the link provided within this website to order your copy. Wherever possible, all orders will be dispatched next working day (i.e. following order receipt) and delivery requested within the UK using Royal Mail's tracked 24 hour delivery service.
Many thanks for visiting this website. If you have any comments or questions, then please contact me using the contact form below.
Paul J Gooch ARPS
This A4 landscape photobook has been created to a quality specification. The book contains 188 internal pages, with quality photographs throughout that are printed on 170 gsm silk paper. The book is a thread sewn bound and encased in a hardback cover with black end papers.
The City of Bath -
Enduring Structures &
Transient Lives
The Mayor of Bath (Councillor Michelle O'Doherty) - “A stunning book showcasing Bath’s architecture whilst also capturing the lives of those who visit, live and work in our beautiful city .”
David Crellin (History of Bath Research Group) - “A delightful and beautifully created photobook.”
Ian Hargreaves (President of the Bath Photographic Society) - “This beautifully presented book features a captivating series of images that showcase the evolving community of Bath against the backdrop of enduring Georgian architecture.”
The photobook presents a collection of high quality photographs and accompanying narrative that explores the architectural heritage of the City of Bath. The book features images of enduring Georgian architecture and describes the work of notable architects of the day. Visiting key locations within the Georgian City, the book presents a blend of purely architectural images, alongside other images that feature Bath’s transient population.
Designed by William Wilkins and located in York Street, the former Friends Meeting House was an underutilised building that has recently been repurposed and sensitively transformed into a popular book store.
The historical structures photographed within the City of Bath have survived for centuries whilst generations of people come and go. This photobook uses photographic techniques that present people as ethereal, transient forms against the backdrop of these enduring structures. By presenting people in a transient state, we underscore the idea that people are simply fleeting guardians of the splendid buildings of Bath.
This photograph, taken in South Parade, features on page 65 of the photobook. Set against an enduring Georgian terrace, we observe a young man strutting with phone in one hand and a drink to go in the other; a graceful lady in elegant attire; e-scooters charged and awaiting their fare paying passengers. A cocktail of human transience in one photograph!
The photobook includes photographs that incorporate reflections as a fascinating way to observe and capture the fleeting nature of people that live, work and socialise within Bath’s classical urban setting. The approach deliberately creates semi-abstract and painterly style photographs, designed to stimulate the imagination of the viewer.
This photograph was taken in on the corner of Brock Street and Margaret's Building. A young lady walks past. Light bounces around a corner window with 2 panes of glass at 90 degrees. A surreal perspective is captured with characters from the painting looking on.
Photography provides a very useful visual reference when assessing historic changes that have evolved over the passage of time. This photobook incorporates vintage photographs taken from circa 1850 to circa 1936. These vintage images are juxtaposed against monochrome transient style photographs made in the modern day. Whilst the architectural structures endure, it is interesting to view the vintage photographs and observe humanity's transient and evolving condition.
The above vintage image of Milsom Street was taken circa 1900. Fashion during the early 1900s remained similar to the prior century. A woman's modesty was emphasised with day dresses covering the body from the neck to the floor. Arms were covered and women often wore hats and gloves. How women's fashion has evolved in the last century or so!
The photobook concludes with a section (including a series of poignant photographs) that considers the need to maintain effective sustainability policies to protect the architectural heritage of Bath and to also consider environment in which we live.
The above photograph was taken in the Circus and appears on page 179 of the photobook. The photograph shows a march organised by the Extinction Rebellion. A theatrical funeral procession took place for the natural world destroyed by climate change. Staged against the backdrop of Bath’s classical architecture, the procession delivered a powerful message in the modern day, serving not only to highlight the transience of human life, but also the negative impact of human life on the delicate transience of the natural world.
Please use the following link, should you wish to place an order:
If you have any comments or questions, then please use this form to get in touch:
