Historically, visual narratives of African cities were often shaped by external media and interests.
Through projects like Eyes of a Lagos Boy and now Lagos Then and Now, Bolaji Alonge, visual historian and documentary photographer, uses rephotography to build a local archive centered on the perspectives of the people who know the city best.
Rephotography, the practice of taking a modern picture of a site from the exact location used in an archival photograph is rapidly transforming how we record urban history.
His Lagos Then and Now collection brings these past and present perspectives together allowing people experience the city’s ongoing transformation firsthand.
For a rapidly evolving metropolise like Lagos, Alonge, uses rephotography to offer an essential framework to document history as it happens, creating a locally grounded visual record of urban growth.
Rather than simply taking pictures of a city as it stands today, this approach turns everyday photography into a tool for tracking physical and social transformation over time.
The Art of ‘Then and Now’
Creating these before-and-after visual records requires considerable patience and historical research such as sourcing old archival photographs, locating the precise spot where the original photographer stood, matching the exact camera angle, and capturing the contemporary view.
He uses this technique to directly track how the city’s streets and neighborhoods have evolved across generations.
Placing historical and modern photos side-by-side reveals the rapid pace of urban development. Old landmarks disappear to make way for modern high-rises, and quiet streets turn into busy thoroughfares. In some areas, concrete has completely replaced green spaces, while in others, trees have surprisingly grown where there used to be none.
Generating nostalgia and public debate
Reactions to these comparative photos show how deeply residents care about their city’s past.
However, nostalgia often shapes how these changes are perceived.
When an old photo shows a quiet, leafy street that has since become a crowded business area, people usually complain about what was lost.
On the other hand, when modern improvements make a location cleaner or more functional, few people notice.
This highlights how collective memory often leans on romanticized impressions of the past rather than objective physical shifts.
According to Alonge, ‘These visual pairings regularly spark lively debates online. Viewers share personal memories, discuss city planning policies, and debate government decisions, using the images to evaluate where Lagos came from, who directed its changes, and what its future development should prioritize’.
Preserving visual history from within
Applying this method locally, and in global cities like London, New York, Marseille, and Barcelona, it highlights a broader truth, which is that sustained urban photography is fundamentally a way of capturing time.
For instance, a simple photo of a normal street corner today might seem ordinary now, but in twenty or thirty years, it could serve as the only surviving evidence of a neighborhood that no longer exists.
While these visual comparisons have gained widespread engagement online, the project is set to expand beyond digital space.