We spend an extraordinary amount of time in our cars throughout our lifetime commuting, travelling, and navigating the everyday. But what do we keep within arm’s reach on those journeys? GoCompare asked 10 photographers from different parts of the world to photograph the contents of their glove boxes.
I have been driving the beetle since my teens. It was given to me by my father who bought it in 1998 from an elderly lady for R7000 (£400) and it is the only car I have ever owned-it just keeps on running.
The tyre gauge has been something I have kept in the glove box ever since driving over a nail which still needs to be attended to.
There’s always a spare pair of sunny’s on hand for the bright light out here in Joburg.
The sandpaper and multi tool screwdriver are used to clip off the distributor cap and clean the points on those days the old – girl doesn’t want to start as well as tuning the idle screw.
The spanner, I don’t know why it’s in there otherwise.
I have various discs that don’t fit the glove box but if I recall,this one I grabbed from my brother’s old collection. I think he purchased it on a trip we made together back in 2004 to California, USA. The genre is rock/indie
The brief was the same, but the results were anything but. Each image reflects not just the personality of the photographer, but the practicalities and peculiarities of life in their corner of the world
"Holy Water. Found this a month after I got the car. Placed in the glovebox by my late mother"
Car manual, I'm not a car person. Took me an hour to find the hood release when I first bought it.
Random cd collection. Never get played.
Moleskin notebook and pencil. Oldskool. Invaluable, as a landscape photographer I record new locations, shot exposure details, weather, light direction, filters used etc. Makes it a lot easier when returning to the same location again.
Led Lenser. The best LED light I’ve used. I carry a Petzel head torch in my camera bag but if I need power, for example to paint light during night exposures, this is the weapon of choice.
Business cards. Can never have enough.Old pair of Ray-Bans. Can’t wear anymore as I require prescription.
Eye drops, Phone charger, Optical Cleaner and cloth. For eyewear but I’ve recently discovered it’s great for cleaning ocean spray off glass photographic filters.
Photo of Fr Mychal Judge with a prayer on the reverse side. A cousin of my partner, he was one of the first casualties of 911 and died at the World Trade Centre. The photograph of his remains being carried by firefighters from the debris made the front pages worldwide.
The knife is simply handy for many things.
The memory card I must have forgotten there and I’m happy to recover it thanks to this assignment.
The name tag is from an assignment for GIZ in Berlin and I must have emptied a bag in the car and put it in the glove box.
I’m slightly short-sighted so I need glasses to drive a car.
The business card from Hotel Essaouira is from a hostel in Marrakesh where I stayed on my way to Essaouira. In May 2016, I covered the Gnaoua Music Festival for the UK online publication Middle East Eye.
On the road, I often buy something to eat where I need a spoon. In fact, I carry a spoon also in my bag.
I have dry lips and keep lip balm everywhere.
I only moved to Seville in December 2015 and without a map, I was a bit lost initially.
I have long hair that can be in the way when I take photos, so having a spare hair band here and there is quite practical.
The cat hair ball seems to be weird but for me it is a lucky charm. When I brush my two beloved tom cats I collect their hair and turn it into little balls, that they love to play with and I keep one for good luck.
From lost Sharpies in New York and a breathalyser in Scotland, what emerged was a fascinating portrait of cultural and regional habits, equal parts practical and personal. Glove compartments, it turns out, are quiet storytellers of our lives on the road.
What I found most compelling about this project was the shared creative direction across continents, with each photographer responding in a way that was entirely their own. It’s a reminder that even the most everyday subjects can reveal something unexpected when viewed through a global perspective.
The Brain Candy was given to me from a job I had. I kept in in the glove box to stop me falling asleep- it’s equivalent to a can of red bull. Sometimes in the US, it’s typical to travel 6 hours non-stop!
The Sharpie was a happy surprise and a happy find as I lost this and it’s probably the most important thing in there!
Adele was the wife’s and I have to confess is a deliberate hide as this album drives me insane as the wife has played it so much. She had no idea until now!
There’s the usual car manual and some odd tickets that have been mindlessly thrown in and forgotten about.
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