My father worked in the Sears Crosstown Building for 38 years. I have fond memories of the building and the view from his tenth floor office. As a graphic designer and photographer, I was excited to find dad’s 1950 era Rollieflex camera from Sears. I remember being a kid standing motionless in front of the box shape for family photos.
The idea of shooting Crosstown in 2016 through the lens purchased in that building 60 years ago became a fascinating goal. The idea of melding present and past, father and son, young and old was something I couldn’t resist exploring. One roadblock was a stuck shutter. With the shutter locked open, I had only one option for images. Lifting the lens cap for one to three seconds at a time would give light for exposure. After experimenting several rolls of film, I realized I could capture time. The vintage camera browsed the columns and window light of the Crosstown construction space seeing progress through an eye 60 years its senior.
As a designer for Church Health, I am thrilled be moving into Crosstown Concourse where lives and futures will be lived out and captured every day.
Thanks to Memphis Professional Images for being partners in this process. These are timeless images captured in time. Special thanks to Jeff Hullett, Savannah Bearden with Loaded for Bear, and Justin Thompson with Crosstown Arts.
