Manager José Antonio Almeida poses at the entrance of his business.
With an eye for detail and a penchant for the past, photographer Sebastian Erras creatively captures the rich histories of cities all over the world through shots of colorful floors and decorative storefronts. In collaboration with Pixartprinting, Erras has traveled to Paris, Venice, Barcelona, London, and Milan to explore and document the hidden gems of their local landscapes. Given his impressive list of past projects, it’s no surprise that he’s turned his attention to another world-class, European city for his latest series: Lisbon, Portugal.
In Lisbon Re-Tale, Erras presents a collection of 30 spectacular façades found in the coastal capital city. Like his previous storefront studies, the exteriors in his Lisbon series are straightforwardly shot to highlight the diversity of their designs, which range from colorful tiles and ornate moldings to one-of-a-kind windows and unique lettering. Additionally, each image prominently features the shop’s current owner in the foreground, painting a more complete and personalized picture of local life in Lisbon.
Ranging in age, the selected settings reflect the city’s changing tastes and trends over time. Spanning a beautiful Baroque-inspired jewelry store, a neat and tidy Neo-Classical glove shop, an Art Nouveau cinema-turned-peepshow, and an Art Deco bookstore, the series of storefronts offers a glimpse into Portugal’s past traditions. “[The] Re-tale series were born with the idea of ‘giving voice’ to the traditional places to recuperate the know-how, the creativity and the [aesthetic] values from the past” Pixartprinting told us in an email. “Modern cities also have a rich and traditional past, and there is a connection with the present.”
You can see more spectacular snapshots of Lisbon's storefronts on Pixartprinting's website.
Luis Santos keeps bar, offering simple food and tranquility.
Lubelia Marques, manager for Portugal of the jewelry company Tous, at the door of the brand’s local flagship store.
Owner José Eilar de Almeida tells the story of his shop with a smile on his face.
Carlos Carvalho is proud to run Portugal’s last specialty glove shop.
Manuela Cutileiro and one of the dolls cured at her doll hospital.
Alfredo Sampaio sees the many stories that are linked with his jewelry shop.
Cládia Marques and her grandfather Alfredo Teixeira welcome visitors into their men’s clothing store.
Maria da Conceiçao Bulhões Lampreia hears a lot of stories as manager of historic military uniform shop.
Joáo Silva, one of the owners of Lisbon’s most famous coffeehouse.
Manager Pedro Castro E Silva poses in front of his bookshop.
José Sá-Chaves is the latest generation of a barbering saga.
Sebastian Erras: Website | Instagram
Pixartprinting: Website | Facebook
