There is one task that obsesses me: bringing to light forgotten, discarded or hidden voices of the past. This concern has led me to strange places – the sewers spaces of Victorian London; the ruins of Chernobyl and Pripyat in Ukraine; abandoned Byzantine cities in Syria; dilapidated gold mines in the mountains of Colorado – and to apparently mundane subjects in nineteenth-century history – sewer maps, gardening catalogues, cab fare books, census forms and London guidebooks. Crossing disciplinary boundaries with abandon, I view research as a creative act, one defined by the reconstruction of lost worlds. Walter Benjamin gave perhaps the best description of this approach to history: rag-picking.
Paul,
Most excellent read “Into the belly of the beast” I recommend it to all.
Rob Barnes, in a warm and sunny Spanish Costa Blanca!
Thanks Rob. Great to hear that you’ve enjoyed my book. Not sunny here in Oxford, sadly! All the best, Paul
Hello Paul,
Would you mind giving me a call, or sending an email? I’m hoping to write an article for the South London Press newspaper about the Driver architecture at London Bridge. I understand that Network Rail isn’t too interested in preserving it. An article might put a little pressure on them to do this – and at least it raises the issue with more South Londoners.
My number is 020 87106437 and I’m a reporter for Southwark. My email is lindsay.burns@slp.co.uk
Kind regards,
Lindsay
Hello Paul,
Please drop me a line – I’m putting together a charity magazine for Community Action Southwark “CAScade” and I wonder if I may use an image of yours – as usual with these things it’s last minute. I’m happy to add a credit such as a link to your site.
Many thanks
Guy
Sure, that’s fine. Is it the London Bridge station photo? Can you credit it to me and also provide a link to the site?
Many thanks
Paul
Great to see how your work has matured, Paul – we still enjoy your painting in the desert, but some of your direction nowadays is very spiritually diverse and imaginative. Alison Dunn (Henry’s mum!)
Thanks for your comment, Alison. I’m glad to hear my work is being enjoyed! That’s the best complement I could wish for….Paul
Great blog, especially on the power of railway stations; i am particuarly interested in abandoned ones; I presume u have read Sebald?http://decayetude.wordpress.com/2010/09/25/deserted-and-semi-derelict-railway-stations-hommage-to-sebald/. This post might be of especial interest:)Steve
Thanks for this, and for the reblog of my post. Yes, I’m a big fan of Sebald and I’m going to write something about a passage in Austerlitz that features an ornamental cast iron column in a railway station (Pilsen I think). Here, as Sebald so wonderfully describes, the rusted ironwork seems to hold its own history and story that’s been accumulating over time. Thanks also for directing me to your blog which I will explore and soon no doubt have much to share…Paul
Thanks Paul; we seem to have railways stations and Sebald in common then:)He seems particuarly and eeriy fascinated by semi-spectral stations(Liverpool St pre furbishment in “Austerlitz”), “Antwerp central”(op.cit) and Lowestoft Central(pictured in the blog post i linked to) in “Rings of Saturn”; I think they feature highly in the uncanniness of architecture, something i am going to investigate in relationship to Sebald and to my own personal interest in decrepit railway station buildings: Birmingham Snow Hill(original station), Liverpool Central old high level station and London Broad street, all now “deceased” are intriguing examples in the UK. There are pictures of all of these on Google Search Images. Take care, and i look forward to your Pilsen station cast iron posting:)Steve
Hi Paul, I’ve nominated your blog for a Liebster Award, a fun way to share and promote blogs.
http://memoirsofametrogirl.com/2013/02/27/a-liebster-award-nomination/
That’s very kind of you! Thanks so much…