Photographs make an impact when presented at large scale on the street. The pictures have a special resonance when they are about the local place they are situated in. Photographs displayed within the street may be screening something unsightly, but they provide an engaging insight into the place. Their impact is greater when seen outdoors, close to the ‘real’ place. The flâneur is someone who strolls and casually enjoys observing life on the street – photographs placed on the street make flâneurs of us all.

The picture above is a set of photographs covering a building undergoing changes in Antwerp. It shows several old photos of imposing city architecture, but also a domestic street scene. These displays are provided by the city authorities – it is partly a screen, partly an urban interpretation, partly marketing. It manages to make old photographs relevant to the modern, changing city.

These are recycling bins in the London Borough of Redbridge. The black and white photos make the bins more presentable but also reveal fascinating local scenes. The picture on the left is Hermon Hill in Wanstead, with villas and handsome trees. It is a very ordinary street scene. Presented at this scale, it is possible to see the detail – four or five pedestrians, a horse and cart parked at the kerb, a woman cycling away. The picture on the right is a robust footbridge over the River Roding, in good condition, with a water works in the background. It is as fresh as yesterday, but gone without trace. This is the Red bridge that gives the borough its name.

These photographs are taken in Moulsham Street, Chelmsford, Essex, directly adjacent to the building they now enliven. These are blank side street windows of Quadrant department store. It is the scale of the pictures that make these so compelling – nearly life size. It is possible to read the signs in the shops, to see the expressions on people’s faces, study their clothing – the effect is like stepping into the scene.

Tošo Dabac was a prolific photographer  in Zagreb, working between the 1930s and 1960s. This is his studio, currently housing an archive of his work, with the windows covered with his photographs. The pictures include photographs of the city, taken from unusual viewpoints, now placed in the context of a busy street. The mode of presentation is fascinating, catching the eye and then confusing image with the physicality of the shop, with its curved glass, and street clutter.