The ‘Dear…’ Series on Polaroid 600. Zines by Wade Radford.

If you’d like to check out any of the series that are still in stock, you can find them here…

The ‘Dear…’ Series is personal for the most part, yet shared by so many others. It is about preservation, finding the magic in places, the beauty on the surface.

I don’t believe I considered making a series out of this originally – It all started with Mundesley in North Norfolk. When living in Suffolk, I’d use Mundesley as a place to restore, hit the refresh button and get balance both creatively and within my well-being. Something did appeal to me about Mundesley and as such I started taking Polaroid shots there and created ‘Dear Mundesley’ which was only to serve as its own release initially.

This is evidenced in that from creating Dear Mundesley in 2021, another ‘Dear…’ book did not come until 2022, and it wasn’t until 2023 that the series started to develop. I wanted to keep creating them as mini a6 Zines, almost as an alternative to a postcard. Rather than a singular card, folk could send someone one of these zines for around the same postage as a postcard, and by doing so they opened a location of 24-28 pictures rather than a singular scenic shot of a place.

Most of the series has been done in only 50-60 prints per place, though some places have been an exception to this rule – These are something I take pleasure in doing, and the cost of Polaroid film, plus printing means they have NEVER been an exercise in creating vital funds. If I am due to visit somewhere, it is simply something that gives me a focus on exploring – the intention to capture all of its reality in instant photography.

In 2022 Dear Stratford Upon Avon would follow, and Dear Dungeness. The irony with Stratford Upon Avon is there is nowhere in the UK I detest more than that place! However, after Suffolk, I found myself there and as I was stuck renting a flat for some time, naturally an SUA Dear book followed. Dear Dungeness was a collection of instant snaps I’d taken in 2020 during the easing of lockdown, albeit the short easing – Dungeness is one of those Dear zines that is an exception and its popularity has meant more being ordered than all other locations!

2023 added ‘Dear Laugharne’ (Home to Poet Dylan Thomas), Dear Blackpool (from a collection of photos taken in 2022), Dear Avebury, & Dear Carmarthenshire. Alongside these were the ‘Calm & The Choas’ Volume 1 & 2, which though aren’t titled ‘Dear…’ books, feature a mixed collection of the aforementioned photography from previous places, plus unseen snaps.

Moving to the North East this year I have tried to embed myself within the community with the release of ‘Dear Saltburn’, ‘Dear Skinningrove’, ‘Dear Redcar’, ‘Dear Thirsk’ and ‘Dear Whitby’. Thirsk I ended up doing a collection of shots as I was up there completing work on my paranormal odyssey of yesteryear in my book ‘Busby & Me’. Out of all the stuff done in the North East so far, Skinningrove is a wholly unique place! It has a wonderful unspoilt beach, and captivating panoramic views and just remains a real little hidden seaside village – let’s keep our fingers crossed it stays that way!

The Dear series is preservation, in my little way, with my little input! It is no secret that in the coming of age of disregard for our heritage, history and culture, I truly believe everything isn’t safe from developers or development!

I have no clue if any of these little books will crop up in the future, or be saved from the recycling machines, but I have been happy to see that those with connections to any of the locations have seemed happy to have their memories concreted within the pages – that is the true happiness of doing this! It has also been a pleasure to donate some zines to museum collections, who knows if they’ll still be in the collections years from now!

Next week brings about the sixteenth ‘Dear…’ Series release with one of my latest excursions to Pendle Hill and surroundings preserved in the pages of the zine. I have a few more in the works as well, so be sure to follow my stores for updates 😀