Sometimes, something comes into my inbox which scares and excites me in equal measures. Taking a pair of chairs on a tour of Manchester- say what?!
These photos are the result of that initial email from Italian furniture design house Calligaris. Pushing me out of my comfort zone, the brief was to take two of their chairs on a tour of my city, and “Style My City” with the chairs.
As you probably know, I love mixing old and new together and I really wanted to convey this on my tour of Manchester with the chairs.
Below is a shot including the Hilton Beetham Tower in the background (currently the tallest skyscraper in Manchester) alongside the older aircraft hanger to the left of the image which is part of the Museum of Science & Industry here in Manchester.
This Guerrilla style shooting is not something I’ve done for a long time but I really loved the end result.
I chose these particular chairs (called Claire) as I think they have a real 60s vibe to them. I could really picture them on the set of Mad Men, perhaps in Don Drapers office. They are such a classic shape.
I was extremely lucky to gain special permission to shoot inside one of Manchester’s most iconic landmarks for #StyleYourCity, the stunning Victoria Baths. It was such a treat for me to go inside and photograph the old, side by side with the new.
I love how the chairs give a sense of time and place to the shots. (first image, below and above)
Many people when they think of Manchester, think of football or music. So I took the chairs to see Manchester City’s ground Eastlands. We tried to get a shot on the other side of the city at Old Trafford too, home of Manchester United but security was tight and it wasn’t meant to be.
We did get this iconic road name though which is tucked behind Old Trafford!
Manchester has some fantastic street art and I really wanted to get a shot of the chairs with some work from one of the most well known artists around, Akse_p19. This one of Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood is one of my favorites!
I couldn’t take the chairs around Manchester without a visit to Salford Lads club (technically in Salford obvs) these doorways were made famous by The Smiths and it is a pilgrimage which many fans still make today. We made a friend whilst there too!
To see more of the #StyleYourCity Calligaris shots from all over the world go here.
susan earlam ~ horror author 
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