On Friday 14 March, NGCI held an opening event for its latest exhibition, TimeBack, in the Lower Exhibition Hall. This new project is the result of an exciting collaboration between the National Gallery, Compass Media and Dart, and is intended to showcase a selection of historic images from the wider TimeBack archive project.

Offering a prominent platform through which to present this treasure trove of photographs to the Caymanian public, the exhibition is also intended to serve as a collective memory project that allows visitors to relive Cayman’s past through this unparalleled collection. Featuring scenes spanning from the 1970s-1990s, the 72 featured photographs represent a small fraction of this extensive assortment of journalistic images.

The Cayman Compass has been compiling copies of its newspapers, and other materials into bound volumes for more than half a century. It has also archived photographs, in the form of film negatives, which today constitute an invaluable visual document of our Islands’ recent history. These materials are also an important resource for historians, students, educators, researchers, and academics, as well as the general public.

The TimeBack project was born from this commitment to preserve Caymanian history and allow the community to remember Cayman’s past. Compass Media and Dart have scanned negatives of more than 300,000 photographs from the Compass newspaper’s archives. At the same time, a dedicated team of amateur historians, journalists, artists and civic-minded Caymanians continue to review this ever-growing collection, selections of which are presented via viewable image galleries on the TimeBack.ky website.
Providing a wonderful opportunity for visitors to access and engage with these photographs in dynamic ways, the exhibition moreover illustrates the wider story of the Cayman Islands and its people, reflecting both tangible and intangible aspects of Cayman’s unique identity and vibrant cultural heritage.

TimeBack is on view until 20 June 2025. Admission to the gallery and the exhibition is free, and opening times are Monday to Saturday 10:00AM – 5:00PM. For more information about TimeBack and the exhibition’s related programme of free events, lectures, workshops and tours, please visit the What’s On page of our website, or email education@nationalgallery.org.ky . To learn more about the TimeBack Archive Project, visit www.timeback.ky

TimeBack Team:

Melissa Ladley, Executive Director
Richard O’Carroll, Compass Leadership
Roman Hapek, Technology Consultant
Kieron Rankine, Destination and Experience Specialist
Cheryl Birch, Head of Sales
Angela Sevilla, Marketing and Digital Coordinator
Laura Leontsinis, Communications & Activations Manager
Ivan Burges, Compass Media Archivist & Accounts
Craig Merren, Curator
Eziethamae Bodden, Contributor
Nasaria Suckoo Chollette, Contributor
Clinton Everett Ebanks, Contributor
Jewel Levy, Contributor
Dwight Panton, Contributor
Barrie Quappe, Contributor
Lucille Seymour, Contributor