FEAST your eyes on these.

The images we have on these pages show how different parts of Marygate have changed and developed over the centuries, as seen through the eyes of artists and photographers. So Marygate Tower is seen in a late Victorian monochrome watercolour by the artist Henry Waterworth; in a very early Victorian photograph; and in a contemporary photograph taken this year.

The sequence shows how some of the buildings which, in Victorian times, used to lean up against the Bootham side of the tower, have since been removed. A row of substantial houses which once stood on Marygate to the right of the tower in the watercolour have also been completely demolished, exposing the length of ancient Abbey wall behind.

This latter change is seen even more dramatically in a sequence of images taken from inside the Abbey precinct. In a watercolour painted in the early 1900s by George Harrison (no, not the Beatle) the substantial row of houses which once stood outside the wall on Marygate can be clearly seen, with the tower in the distance. They were still there in 1933, when a photographer for the York Health Department standing inside the Abbey precinct took a photograph from pretty much the same point of view. Instead of housing what looks like stables, this corner of the Abbey precinct in 1933 had been turned into a formal garden. But otherwise, the view was substantially the same as in the earlier watercolour. Fast forward to this year, however, and a contemporary photograph by Chris Shepherd taken from the same spot shows that the houses have completely vanished.

These remarkable images come from a forthcoming new new book and accompanying exhibition, both entitled Streets of York: Four Centuries of Change, which will be launched next month to raise money for three local charities.

The aim of both book and exhibition is to show just how much some of York's best-known and best-loved streets have changed down the years.

For centuries, the city's streets have attracted a succession of conservationists, artists, photographers, authors, craftsmen, and tourists. Many left a record of the city they knew and loved, in the form of paintings, sketches and photographs.

Streets of York: Four Centuries of Change brings together a unique collection of about 200 of those original paintings, sketches and historic photographs, pairing them with matching contemporary photographs.

“The aim is to take you on a journey through time through York’s streets,” said Sir Ron Cooke, the retired vice chancellor of the University of York whose idea the book and exhibition were. “The book and exhibition use original paintings and sketches, some very old and many never seen in public before, matched with historic and contemporary photographs showing the same view, to give a unique insight into how York’s streets have changed. The results can be very surprising!”

The exhibition will open in St Williams College on October 31 and run to November 22. The book will be published simultaneously. And every penny of the proceeds will go to three local charities: York Against Cancer, the York Minster Fund and York Civic Trust.

“We’re hoping we can raise a good deal of money,” Sir Ron said. “These are three wonderful local charities and we’re hoping we can make a real contribution to them.”

The book and exhibition have been put together by four York people: Sir Ron himself; Darrell Buttery, the local historian and former chairman of the York Civic Trust and York Georgian Society; Stephen Lewis, chief feature writer of The Press (ie yours truly); and photographer Chris Shepherd, who took all the contemporary photographs.

“Working on the book and exhibition has been an absolute eye-opener," said Mr Buttery. "It is fascinating to see the way many of York’s best-known streets have changed down the years, sometimes in quite subtle ways but often very dramatically.”

For Chris Shepherd, taking the modern photographs was a two-year labour of love. “Matching the present-day street locations with old views was quite a challenge at times," she admitted. "Some scenes have changed so much over the centuries, that help from experts was needed to identify the locations! But that’s what we think makes Streets of York so special. We think it will make you see the city with new eyes.”

The Streets of York exhibition will open at the Maclagan Hall in St Williams College on October 31 and run until November 22.

Public admission will be every weekday afternoon from 2.30pm to 4.30pm, with entry £12 on the door.

The Streets of York book will include more than 300 illustrations and will be printed as a full-colour hardback by York Publishing Services, priced £30 (£20 for those who attend the exhibition).

All proceeds from both book and exhibition will go towards York Against Cancer, the York Minster Fund and York Civic Trust.

Stephen Lewis