The Allentown Then & Now project will give students at the ALEC(Allentown Learning and Engagement Center) an opportunity to develop visual literacy skills and form a deeper connection to the history and identity of their neighborhood through photography. Archived images from the Historic Pittsburgh Image Collections will be used as a reference for youth to capture modern day images of the historic archived scenes.

Printed and framed modern “Now” images will be presented alongside the historical “Then” images as a photography showcase in a space in the Allentown community. These images will go on to be displayed in various businesses and organizations throughout the community with information cards detailing the context of the archived images as well as links to the Historic Pittsburgh Image Collection and its contributors.

“Now” images will also be submitted to a Pittsburgh image archive (Historic Pittsburgh Image Collection or Heinz History Center) and be made available for non-commercial use by non-profit organizations, schools, as well as the general public. Youth photographers will receive credit for their contributions within the archive, as well as a framed print featuring a collage of their “Now” image and the “Then” image it references.

This project is made possible through the Arts MODE programming of New Sun Rising. Project partners include ALEC, The Hilltop Alliance, The Archives Service Center at University of Pittsburgh, and Work Hard Pittsburgh.