Kirkcaldy ‘Then & Now’ photos returns in new town centre exhibition venue

The upper floor of the Adam Smith Heritage Centre is home to ‘Then And Now’ which showcases the Lang Toun of the 19th and 20th centuries and the present time.

It was first staged by Kirkcaldy Photographic Society in 2018 to mark its 120th anniversary and went on display at Kirkcaldy Galleries.

All the photos have been in storage since the exhibition closed in March 2019, but it can now been viewed again in its entirety at the heritage centre which is the home of the Adam Smith Global Foundation. It opens on Friday, November 29 and can be seen every Thursday and Friday when the centre is open, until the end of February.

The exhibition is free with donations welcome – the pictures hang on the upper floor as well as down the staircase.

Visitors can also visit the Adam Smith exhibition and gift shop on the ground floor at 1 Adam Smith Close in Kirkcaldy.

Justyna Majewska, centre manager at the Adam Smith Global Foundation said “We are delighted to welcome this exhibition to the centre and we are indebted to the Kirkcaldy Photographic Society for working with us on the set-up. It is the very first time we have used upstairs as an exhibition space, and we look forward to welcoming many visitors during the next three months.

Cathy Davis, vice president of Kirkcaldy Photographic Society said “This collaboration will see the two organisations work together for the next few years with a few exciting opportunities opening up for both groups. Our aim with this exhibition is to evoke memories of Kirkcaldy, old and new, for many of our visitors. We hope you enjoy and please put a little note in the visitor’s book.”

The original exhibition was very popular because there were scores of old photographs of Kirkcaldy from the late 19th and early 20th century, and alongside these were contemporary black and white pictures of the same scene photographed from the same spot and same angle, by members of the photographic society. This is a perfect trip down memory lane for older Langtounians, and a great insight into the past for the younger generation.