The Mayor of Poole, Conservative Councillor for Penn Hill ward Mrs Xena Dion, has officially unveiled the Poole Park Photo Mosaic to commemorate the 125th aniversary of the park.
From portraits to pets, action shots to vintage prints, and landscapes to wedding snaps, a vast array of images has been included in the artwork, reproducing the original Victorian plan for the park as a photo mosaic five metres wide.
Xena: “It is a fantastic project and a celebration of our heritage. Each photo captures a precious moment in time, and it has been transformed into an artwork. People have been absolutely fascinated by it. Each time you look at it you notice something different.”
The Poole Park Heritage Group first conceived the idea for the photo mosaic, which depicts the map of “The People’s Park” at its inauguration in 1890. The mosaic is made up of thousands of photographs provided by local residents, businesses and community groups, many of whom uploaded the images to the PPHG website and also made donations to the park.
The money raised will help to unlock Heritage Lottery Funding for park improvements, as part of the ongoing Heritage Lottery Poole Park Life Funding Bid for £2.9 million.
Rockley Park is the patron and lead sponsor for the photo mosaic.