I was born into a black and grey world; the grass must have been green but that is not the way I remember it. Manchester in the 1950s was smog-filled and populated with buildings blackened by coal fires, steam trains and the heavy industry of nearby Trafford Park. Many of these buildings were still eyeless and empty, the ruins from the Blitz of 1940; war was always in monochrome.
It wasn’t just sex that was invented in 1963 (Philip Larkin 1922-1985 – from his poem, Annus Mirabilis), so was colour. But even the Kodachrome supplements that arrived with the traditional newsprint of the 1960s continued to report the horrors of Vietnam with the stark black and white images of Don McCullin.
This art installation outside the National Museum of Carthage is the painted ruins of wrecked cars that commemorate the Tunisian revolution of 14th January 2011; war and revolution now arrive in primary colours.
Inside the National Museum the ruins date from Phoenician Carthage, destroyed in 814 BC and Roman Carthage destroyed in AD 692. History teaches us that nothing is permanent; it teaches us other things too, if we care to listen:
(click on the images to enlarge)
northumbrian : light 
Wow, dazzling confusion bound with colour. Wonderful 🙂
Thanks Seonaid – I might have over-egged the saturation 🙂
I’ve only ever been to Manchester once. Fortunately nobody’s ever come up with a good reason why I should go back.
🙂
Love the description of the monochrome Manchester of your childhood. It’s as vivid as the photos. 🙂
Many thanks – I was fond of the old place but not so much now, it looks like everywhere else. It is often said that the post war developers did more damage to the City than Hitler ever did.
Thanks for interesting reading and fantastic images.
I enlarged them and I recommend others to do that too 🙂
Many thanks Malin, much appreciated.
My pleasure, Robin. Always a pleasure to read your random thoughts. 🙂
I know what you mean about being born in a B and w world – for me at least photographically.
I always think it all began to change with the release of With the Beatles (not their first LP as Larkin references). Ironically it is a b&w cover 🙂
Loved the post . What jumped out at me were your closing lines,” History teaches us that nothing is permanent; it teaches us other things too, if we care to listen:” So what is it that we need to unburden about today to allow us to listen about yesterday?
Shakti
Many thanks Shakti and thanks for stopping by
Great shots; love’m. Cheers,harrie.
Thanks Harrie – I might have over-egged the saturation 🙂