Ben Morales’ book Hindsight: Northwest Ohio Through the Lens of Time offers glimpses of history— highlighting more than 100 photos of Toledo area structures— both in our industrial prime and current incarnation.
Morales began taking these photos in the fall of 2011. “It was never my intention to have this project become a book,” he explains. But in 2013 he received an offer from the University of Toledo Press to do just that, and the book was released this summer.
Getting to Know the City
The project was “sort of a way for me to get to know the city, and its past, a little better,” Morales says. “It helped me connect with Toledo on a deeper level. The more photos I took, the more I learned about the city and the more I fell in love with it.” With photographs shot entirely with his iPhone, Morales sought to create something accessible. He explains, “the post-production came pretty easy for me. Typically I do most of my photography work with a digital camera. For this particular project, though, I wanted it to have the that anyone can do this.”
Sifting through the vast collection of old photos at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Morales identified those he found interesting, then visited those locations around the city, taking new photos with slices of the old photo held in place to match the shot.
Facing Danger
Getting the right angle and having the sun in place for the best lighting were not easy tasks. One of the photos in the book is shot in the median of the High Level Bridge, with traffic barreling by in both directions.
Another dangerous shot was of the Capital Tire Building on Cherry Street near Woodruff. “That intersection is really busy, especially at noon– which unfortunately was the time that offered the best lighting for the photo,” Morales says. “I scouted the location four or five times before building up the nerve to stand in the middle of the intersection. It only took about ten seconds to get the shot, but standing there blocking traffic with cars honking at me, it was really unnerving.”
Another tricky location was Waterville’s Rouche de Boeuf Interurban Bridge in Waterville. Morales “had to put on waders to get to the the middle of the river. The water was up to my waist and rapidly flowing. That was difficult, but it ended up being one of my favorite shots.”
Building a Brighter Future
Each photo captures something intriguing– a reminder of the connection to our past and the relevance of the historical context in today’s lives.
“Looking back, I see what the founders of Toledo saw within this city,” says Morales. “Too often we take places like Toledo for granted, and tend to see only the negative aspects. Showing these photos will hopefully give people a better appreciation for where the city comes from.”
Morales will discuss his new book at 3pm on
Saturday, September 24 at
Gathering Volumes | 196 E. S. Boundary St.| Perrysburg
567-336-6188 | gatheringvolumes.com | Free
