Hanoi in the 1980s and now through the lens

114 Hang Bac Street circa 1986 and 2023 – part of the 16 photos showcased at the “Then and Now, Hanoi streets in transition” exhibition being held at No.2 Hang Bun Street from April 26 to May 20.
Eight of the photos were taken by William E. Crawford between 1985 and 2000, and the remaining eight by Son at the same locations to show how Hanoi changed over the years.

A1 Giang Vo Street in 1988 and 2023. After 35 years the plain dormitory turned into a bunch of clothing shops and restaurants with colorful signs. Son said the exhibition is meant to be a “conversation between time, between two artists, who belonged to two different nations but shared a love for Hanoi.”
Son had the chance to meet Crawford at an event in the U.S. in 2018. “Back then I had an idea of making a joint exhibition based on his work, but haven’t been able to work on it until recently.”

57 Hang Bo Street circa 1991 and now. The building’s second floor is almost unchanged, while the ground floor is now home to a laundromat, tailor’s and lottery agents – admittedly distinctive signs of old times. These photos were printed by Crawford in the U.S. and sent back to Vietnam.

39 Ma May Street in 1994 and now. After shooting his photos, Son used 3D techniques on synthetic materials to create life-like images of the street.

A house on 40 Hang Dong Street around 1995 and now calm as ever and with some color changes, but the second-floor balcony is now gone.

27 Ta Hien Street circa 1999 and 2023. Son said it took him a lot of time to find the exact angle from which Crawford had taken his photo.
Son, 45, was born in Hanoi, graduated from the Vietnam University of Fine Art and went on to get a master’s degree in art photography from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, China. He has organized many exhibitions about Hanoi both at home and abroad.

22-26 Hang Bong Street circa 2000 and now. Crawford’s son, Crawford Junior, appeared in the lower right corner of his father’s photo (left).
William Crawford visited Hanoi for the first time in 1985, and then again and again to take photos of the city’s daily urban life, documenting the changes and development in a post-war Hanoi. His works have been shown in the U.S. and Vietnam, and made it to a photo book “Hanoi Streets 1985-2015: In the Years of Forgetting” – published in 2018.