Just one photo can say so much about the history of a city and its people.
These remarkable pictures were taken more than 100 years ago by Valletta-based photographer Salvatore Lorenzo Cassar.
What emerges are glimpses of every day life Malta at the time – horse carts making deliveries, men pushing a barrow, a boy selling that day’s newspaper.
His work provides us with a visual record of Valletta, with its Grand Harbour and glorious but much-missed Royal Opera House in 1914.
What’s amazing is how much the city has changed but in some ways looks pretty much the same.
1. Kingsway with the Royal Opera House on the right
2. The view from King’s Gate across to Floriana
3. Cannons fire from the Saluting Battery
4. Another busy day in the Grand Harbour
5. The majestic King’s Gate entrance
We have visited your wonderful country on many occasions and we love Malta. But when we were there last year we could not help but feel that with all the building work that is going on the old Malta is being lost to a modern Malta. It’s a shame that a happy medium could not be found as Maltas heritage is so wonderful. But we will be back!