ADVERTISEMENT

When in 2014, Dylan Scalet inherited a sizable collection of photos captured by his grandfather Jack Sharp, he didn’t expect much. It actually took him 6 years—and COVID-19 lockdown happening—to finally begin to digitize the film. What he discovered was a treasure trove of incredible photographs depicting street life in Europe more than half a century ago. Scroll down for Bored Panda’s interview with Scalet!

More info: Instagram | jacksharp.co.uk

He was really excited about his grandfather’s treasure trove. Scalet was born after his grandfather had died and did not have a chance to meet him, so it was like getting to know him. “I was really excited to discover what was inside all of the boxes I had inherited. There was so much, it could be anything! As you can imagine, I was pleasantly surprised, which made the scanning process less tedious as it took weeks to fetch through all of it. As I had come to learn about the great photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Vivian Maier, I simply could not believe the images I was seeing as I dived into the archive. I knew instantly that these photos were special. Not just because they were my grandfather’s, but because I was able to recognize the beauty of these photographs objectively. I knew that it was going to be a lot of work, but getting this out seemed like the right thing to do,” says Scalet to Bored Panda.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Scalet had always intended to digitize the film, but waited for the right time to invest in a high-quality scanner. When the pandemic happened, he had the right equipment and enough free time to begin. He lovingly scanned 5,000 of the negatives and brought his grandfather’s talent to the public. The unseen photos finally saw the light, and the result amazed him. “It was a project I wanted to do ever since I had scanned a few pieces of his work at uni, but after I graduated, I was more focused on starting a career and I didn’t have the funds to get a proper scanner. 5 years later, I was able to invest into a Epson V850 and lockdown was the perfect time to get through it all.”

#5

This Man Scanned The Photos He Inherited From His Grandfather And Showed That He Had A Real Treasure Kept

jacksharp_photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
tiari avatar
Tiari
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ah yes. The one picture every cat-lover takes on vacation ;)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Jack Sharp was a British engineer by trade at the CERN laboratories in Geneva, Switzerland. However, in his free time, he was a street photographer between 1950-1970. Scalet was told that his grandfather fully embraced everything he took an interest in. When he started photography, he researched a lot, understood the mechanics of the camera, how to catch the perfect lighting, and the science of the darkroom. “Jack was born in Harrold, UK in 1928 and then moved to Switzerland in 1955 at the age of 27 to join the famous research organisation CERN as an engineer. I never met my grandfather, but everything I know about him is the stories I hear from my mum or other relatives. Everyone loved him, he loved life and loved it to the fullest. He was clearly a clever guy and would always put his full heart into everything he did.”

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

When asked what kind of camera his grandfather used for his incredible street photos, he said: “He used an Agfa Super Silette Apotar 45mm f/1:3.5 and an Asahi Pentax K Auto-Takumar 55mm f/1.8.” As for the location of the photos, they were actually taken everywhere around Switzerland. Scalet says that after his grandfather’s migration to Switzerland, his whole family was born there. “Most of the photos would have been taken around the west of Switzerland like Geneva, Lausanne, and surrounding areas in France. Due to my grandfather’s migration to Switzerland, my whole family was born in Switzerland. I am very fortunate to have a Swiss, British, and Italian passport. I have a degree in photography, but only practice the craft as a hobby. I was really interested to learn about photography at a higher level because of my grandfather’s work and my dad pushed me to follow my passion.”

#10

This Man Scanned The Photos He Inherited From His Grandfather And Showed That He Had A Real Treasure Kept

jacksharp_photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
ccilev_ avatar
Cécile V.
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know this place in Geneva near the Léman lake. Hasn't change at all. Still going there,

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#12

This Man Scanned The Photos He Inherited From His Grandfather And Showed That He Had A Real Treasure Kept

jacksharp_photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
crabcrab avatar
Hans
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Impressive photo...and a reminder that this cruel act is still allowed.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#14

This Man Scanned The Photos He Inherited From His Grandfather And Showed That He Had A Real Treasure Kept

jacksharp_photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
fabrice_1 avatar
Fabrice
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This photograph is taken place du palais royal in paris. The building in the background is the Louvre Museum.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#29

This Man Scanned The Photos He Inherited From His Grandfather And Showed That He Had A Real Treasure Kept

jacksharp_photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
anne-colomb1986 avatar
cassiushumanmother
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is it just me or the "dame pipi" is the same woman in every European place and in every century? Maybe they cloned the original one multiple times?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#30

This Man Scanned The Photos He Inherited From His Grandfather And Showed That He Had A Real Treasure Kept

jacksharp_photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
sawdust99 avatar
Sawdust
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Turns out that women didn't get the right to vote in Switzerland until twelve years later, in 1971.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Note: this post originally had 90 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda