Chris Porsz's 'Reunions' photography exhibition set to open at Peterborough Museum this week

A free exhibition by one of Peterborough's best loved photographers is set to go on show at Peterborough Museum this week.

'Reunions' by Chris Porsz will open to the public on Saturday January 13 and run until March 23.

The event will showcase 165 sets of Chris' now famous photos, each of which pairs a picture taken of 'everyday' people from the 1980s with an updated image of the same people recreating the same scene in the present day.

Chris summed up the concept of the exhibition – and of his pet passion – concisely.

“You have everyday people on the streets, you give them 40 years to mature, and then you see what time has done to them.”

Though he was oblivious of its potential at the time, Chris's Reunions project started in the early decades of the 1980s.

Bitten by his new found love of amateur photographer, the then 30-year-old paramedic decided to start taking pictures of “random strangers on the street.”

The elderly; the young; Teddy boys; punks; police officers; commuters: Chris took shots of anyone and everyone – and thought nothing of it for close to 30 years.

In 2009, Chris decided to send some pre-Queensgate photos of the city centre to the editor of the Evening Telegraph.

Wowed by the images, the editor immediately gave Chris a column all of his own, 'Paramedic Paparazzo'.

The column was an instant hit with nostalgia-loving readers, and in very short time, the inevitable happened.

“That's how it all started - people started recognising themselves,” Chris recalled.

“That was when I had the lightbulb moment when I thought: 'maybe I can go and find these people'.”

With the help of the Evening Telegraph, Chris turned detective, started tracking down people he had papped in the 1980s, and began recreating the original shots.

In the space of a few years, he had enough 'then and now' photos to include at his first ever exhibition at Peterborough Museum, 'On the streets of Peterborough,' in 2012.

Although Chris had only 20 sets of Reunion images then to showcase in just one gallery of the Museum, it was clear the public loved them:

“It was one of the most popular sections,” he remembered, “it was highly successful.

Off the back of this, Chris put together his first 'Reunions' book which featured 134 sets of his now trademark 'then and now' images.

A recent sequel, 'Reunions 2' showcased 168 sets.

“It was easier to do the second book,” Chris explained, “thanks to the good side of social media.”

Both books were sensations, generating worldwide acclaim which the paparazzo modestly described as “crazy.”

And so we arrive at 2024, with the now 70-year-old snapper showcasing the best photo sets from both Reunions books across three galleries at Peterborough Museum.

The event is such a landmark event that even celebrated street artist Nathan ‘Nyces’ Murdoch is getting in on the act, creating a very special mural at the museum’s entrance.

So surely this is an apt time for Chris to reflect on what he believes the reason is behind people's enduring fascination with this kind of photography?

“When people see these kinds of images, it does seem to strike a chord with them,” he acknowledged.

“They think, 'oh look how they've changed'.”

“And maybe they're also thinking that that could be them as well, the passage of time and the effects it has on us all.”

'Reunions' at Peterborough Museum runs from January 13. Entry, from 10am to 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday, is free.

.