Preston Reflections

Preston was a cotton town, and its days as one were recorded on camera, giving this book its foundation. Local writer Keith Johnson draws on those photographs to trace how earlier generations built the university city that stands today.

Each page sets an older photograph beside a modern view of the same spot, so readers can dwell on the past and see how a scene has changed. The subjects range across the city's streets and main roads, its buildings and bridges, its churches and chapels, its parks and playgrounds, its theatres and cinemas, and its trains, trams, parades and processions.

The pictures record hard times, growth and celebration alike, from periods of poverty and advancement to public ceremony, grandeur and civic pride. Setting the two eras side by side brings to light parts of local history that may have slipped from memory but still shape the lives people lead in the city now. Taken together, the images show Preston both as it is today and as it once was.

The book is written for residents, visitors and anyone with a connection to the city, offering a nostalgic look at its streets and the people who passed through them.