Heritage Footstep project – Marx & Engels
With a friend of mine Jorge Planello, we decided to participate to the Heritage Footstep project: A volunteer led community media project to create a web based digital heritage trail along Salford’s historic main street. We will focus on two historic locations where Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels used to spend time when in Salford-Manchester
One is a pub situated in the Salford Crescent where the two political theorists once drank pints while discussing the theory of communism. To date, we have no tangible evidence of this fact but we will try to explore the myth thought interviews with local residents.
The other one is a library situated in Manchester where Marx and Engels used to meet and discuss politics and economics in the 1840's. This time it's a fact. Indeed, thanks to a letter wrote by Friedrich to Karl in the 70's in which he mentions the specific alcove of that library.
"During the last few days I have again spent a good deal of time sitting at the four-sided desk in the alcove where we sat together twenty-four years ago. I am very fond of the place. The stained glass window ensures that the weather is always fine there...."
- Friedrich Engels
We are still at the pre production stage. So far, Jorge met very nice people who agreed to talk to us about Marx, Engels and these locations while I started to familiarised myself with the library visuals. With Christmas coming up, we won't have time to shoot interviews yet. But I'll keep you posted on how our project progresses.
Videographer, Visual FX artist and web designer.