Tom Pearman was commissioned by originalprojects; to create a large-scale presentation of photographs from the archive of Great Yarmouth train enthusiast Mark Potton.

Installed at Great Yarmouth Train Station, the resulting 55-metre photographic frieze presents a selection from Mark’s extensive collection of railway photographs, transforming a personal archive into a prominent public artwork at one of the principal gateways to the town.

The commission formed part of Great Yarmouth EXPO, a programme celebrating cultural artefacts, personalities, collections and customs associated with the people of Great Yarmouth.

Mark Potton’s archive

Mark Potton has built an extensive personal archive of railway photography and memorabilia over several decades, including thousands of photographs documenting trains in Great Yarmouth and across the UK.

The collection was discovered by originalprojects; through a local community event and recognised as an important record of an individual passion with a strong connection to the town.

Rather than presenting the photographs as a conventional historical display, Tom developed a new visual structure through which the archive could be experienced at architectural scale.

Vanishing Point

Tom selected, reflected and repeated Mark’s photographs to emphasise the vanishing points created by railway tracks, platforms and trains.

Individual images are paired and mirrored so that their perspective lines converge, creating a strong sense of movement across the length of the installation.

The repeated vanishing points draw attention to the visual language already present within the original photographs while creating a contemporary composition from historic material.

The movement between past and present also suggests the idea of looking back in order to move forward, connecting the history recorded within the photographs with the station’s continuing role as an arrival and departure point for Great Yarmouth.

Personal archive

Elements of Mark’s original method of collecting and cataloguing photographs were retained within the artwork.

The visual motif of the ring binder, together with handwritten notes and annotations, acknowledges the personal source of the archive and maintains a connection between the large-scale public installation and the individual collection from which it originated.

This allows the artwork to celebrate not only railway history, but also the enthusiasm, knowledge and dedication involved in creating a personal archive over many years.

Great Yarmouth EXPO

The artwork was produced as part of Great Yarmouth EXPO, developed by originalprojects; within Making Waves Together, part of the Great Place Scheme.

The programme sought to identify and celebrate cultural material already present within Great Yarmouth — including personal collections, stories, customs and local knowledge — and bring it into the public realm.

The project was supported by Arts Council England and the National Lottery / Heritage Lottery funding through the wider Great Place Scheme.

Printed publication

Tom also designed a printed pamphlet documenting and promoting the project, using Mark Potton’s photographs alongside the same reflected-image treatment developed for the station frieze.

The publication introduced the project, acknowledged the story behind Mark’s archive and presented a selection of the photographs in a format that could be taken away by visitors. The ring-bound visual language and handwritten annotations were retained, extending the identity of the installation into the printed material.