Take a journey back in time to 1795 along Bath's historic Pulteney Bridge

An artist has created a video that utilises images of Bath's historic Pulteney Bridge, dating back to 1795. James Fox, who is known as The Time Travel Artist, has meticulously detailed the photographic history of the iconic structure in a video titled 'Pulteney Bridge: A Journey Through Time'.

The clip begins with a photo from 2019 that overlooks the bridge and the weir, before transporting viewers back to 1987. Accompanying the change in image are icons depicting then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, as well as representations of cars, planes and the Queen at that time.

The video then transitions to a black and white image from 1950, during which Labour's Clement Attlee was Prime Minister and George VI was on the throne.The timeline leaps back to 1905, a mere four years after the construction of the Empire Hotel.

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By 1897, the backdrop is largely dominated by trees. The earliest image dates back to 1795, revealing a vastly different and intriguing Bath landscape. The bridge itself was completed in 1774.

"I made this film back in 2018/2019," he revealed. "A three-minute film takes approximately two evenings to compile, from research to publishing. I chose Pulteney Bridge due to the abundance of images available, ranging from photographs to lithographs/engravings."

"This allowed me to trace the evolution of this area much further back than other street scenes, for example. I like the subtler changes best (vegetation trees pathways technology etc)." The bridge itself is a useful visual anchor (a reference point helps when I edit them together). I was lucky to find a series that worked well in this sequence."

On his online platform, Mr Fox discusses the intricate process of creating his numerous videos. In an explanation, he states: "I am a photographer of a slightly different kind.

"Instead of taking photographs of any subject that interests me, I specialise in rephotography, which is the art of taking a photo in exactly the same space as a much older picture. You can see many of these examples in old Now & Then books. "However, in 2013 I decided I would use a different medium to show the passing of time between old and new."

Expressing his determination for innovation, he continued: "I didn't want to put the two images side by side - I wanted to make the viewer feel like they were visually seeing the change unfold before their eyes.

"After much tinkering I decided to use a special lens in order to create pictures that not only "morph" from the present into the past but do so in 3D." It was an illusion that made it appear like you were looking into the photo rather than at it and as you moved side to side the image would shift into the past. This was achieved through a painstaking editing process - a blending of many arts and disciplines that I am constantly refining."

A version of this story was originally published in 2020