I’ve started a new project called Ghostlines, which brings Stoke Newington’s lost buildings back into view by superimposing glowing white architectural outlines onto present-day photographs. Using historical photographs, drawings and other visual records, the reconstructions show where demolished buildings once stood, their scale and architectural features, and how the streetscape has changed.

Over the years, I’ve created various Then & Now projects, placing historical photographs alongside present-day views, blending old and new photographs, and creating interactive comparisons with a slider that can be moved left or right to reveal more or less of the past and present images.

Ghostlines takes a different approach. Instead of overlaying an archival photograph of a demolished building onto the present-day streetscape, it uses only the building’s architectural outlines. This allows the present-day scene to remain visible through the outlines, creating a ghost-like image of what once stood there. The outlines are based on historical photographs and are visual interpretations rather than exact architectural surveys.

The example below uses glowing outlines to show the former Coliseum cinema superimposed on the present-day building that replaced it.

Ghostlines has now been added to the Then & Now section, alongside my existing collection of historical and present-day comparisons. The project already includes Fleetwood House, the Alexandra Theatre, Wordsworth Terrace and several other demolished buildings. I’ll continue adding reconstructions to document how Stoke Newington’s streetscape has changed over time.

Explore the Ghostlines gallery on the project’s dedicated page to see the reconstructions alongside the historical photographs and present-day views.