Last Sunday I took the time to visit Dong Khoi St and Chi Lang Park to view an exhibition of photographs. One collection in particular held my interest, a comparison of Sai Gon as it appeared in 1955 and shots taken from the same angles in the present day by French photographer Raymond Cauchetier. (See the article from Viet Nam News below).
Clicking on the thumbnail will bring up a slide show of image close-ups. (My humble apologies for the colour disparities and massive lens distortions)
(05-05-2005)
Art imitates life: Students pass the outdoor photo exhibition in HCM City. — VNS Photo Ngoc Hai
HCM CITY — A photo exhibition featuring the changes that have occurred in HCM City over the last 50 years is on view at Chi Lang Park in District 1.
On display at the park near the intersection of Dong Khoi and Le Thanh Ton streets are photos taken by French photographer Raymond Cauchetier more than 50 years ago and images shot last month by Vietnamese photographers of the Defense Ministry’s Aerial Photography Enterprise.
The exhibit, called View of Sai Gon in 1955-HCM City in 2005, is sponsored by the HCM City Department of Culture and Information and the French Consulate General, in honor of the upcoming 30th anniversary of the liberation of South Viet Nam.
Cauchetier said 20 of his 1,000-odd photos taken in the 1950s are displayed next to 20 photos shot by Vietnamese photographers.
Cauchetier, now 85, began taking photos in then-Sai Gon 53 years ago when he worked for the press department of the French Air Force.
The outdoor exhibition, which is funded by Air France, will run until August 31. — VNS