A Side-By-Side Look At Photos From History Versus Today
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Or is it the more things change, the more they just keep on changing? It really depends on the time and the place.
Even though it feels like humanity is accelerating at a breakneck pace, there are still plenty of throughlines to be drawn between the past and present. Nothing brings this into sharper focus than seeing comparison photos - allowing us to get a glimpse of how things looked in the past.
Berlin Wall: 1989 and 2020.
The first photo was snapped on November 9, 1989 - the day the Berlin Wall fell - and exactly 31 years later, on November 9 of 2020. While the fall of the wall reunited Germany, the decades of separation between East and West Germany took some time to heal.
Most of the wall is completely gone, but several sections have been preserved for their historical value. The Berlin Wall persists as one of the most enduring symbols of the Cold War.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: 1910 and 2019.
Museums often feel like sacred, unchanging places, and these two photos, separated by more than a century, really drive that home. Two very different crowds can be seen admiring Washington Crossing the Delaware, painted by Emanuel Leutze in 1851.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, known as the Met, is the most-visited museum in the United States, and houses a collection of more than two million works. It's a must-visit for anyone who's checking out the Big Apple.
WWII Hurricane: 1940s and 2022.
There's a personal connection here, as the man seen in the old photo is actually the grandfather of the woman in the recent photo - and, after the plane was restored, she even got the chance to fly in her granddad's old cockpit.
The Hawker Hurricane was first developed in the mid-1930s as it became more and more evident that war would break out in Europe. Nearly 15,000 of the planes were produced in the United Kingdom and Canada for the Allied war effort.
Oxford, UK: 1810 and 2015.
We're cheating a bit here, as the first image is a realistic painting and not an actual photograph. Still, it's hard not to be taken aback by the similarity of the two images, which show almost no changes over two centuries.
Of course, anyone familiar with the University of Oxford will not be surprised by this. It's an institution bound by tradition, and today sits alone as the oldest university in the English-speaking world. The first classes were taught at Oxford as early as 1096.
Chichen Itza: 1892 and 2020.
Today, the Mayan pyramid at Chichen Itza is a popular tourist destination, owing not just to its impressive architectural grandeur, but also its proximity to the popular Mayan Riviera results along the Yucatan Peninsula.
The modern photo shows Chichen Itza as a well-maintained monument, but the older photo shows it as it was known for much of the previous few centuries: overgrown, forgotten, and almost invisible under a thick layer of jungle roots and vines.
Stonehenge: 1877 and 2019.
Stonehenge, located along Salisbury Plain in southern England, is maybe the most famous prehistoric site in the world. While these photos show that it's barely changed over the centuries, this is largely due to preservation efforts.
The fascinating thing about Stonehenge is that it's so ancient - dating back several thousands of years - that its early history is cloaked in mystery. It's known that the monument is aligned with the summer and winter solstices, but little is known about its original builders.
Los Angeles: 1939 and 2021.
The labyrinthine freeway system of Los Angeles is baked into the city's DNA, as L.A.'s midcentury population explosion coincided with the rise of car culture. These pics show the Arroyo Seco Parkway/Figueroa Street at College Street, not far from Chavez Ravine and Dodger Stadium.
At the time the earlier photo was taken, of course, Dodger Stadium did not yet exist, and Figueroa Street was not yet a freeway. Just two years later, it would be converted into a full-blown freeway.
Tower of London: 1998 and 2023.
Here's an example of something that's barely changed at all for centuries - the Tower of London - with something that's undergone a massive transformation in just a quarter of a century.
The juxtaposition of the imposing Tower of London with the city's modern skyline is fascinating. When construction on the Tower's White Tower began in 1078, about 15,000 people lived in London. Today, the population sits at close to 9 million people - and growing.
Elsie Allcock: 1930s and 2023.
Let's take a break from historical sites and monuments and look at something that's far more personal. We're unsure of the exact date of the first photo - likely sometime in the 1930s - but we do know that Elsie Allcock has lived in this same house for 104 years.
Her father began renting the house all the way back in 1902, and Elsie later bought the house with a modest £250 loan from local council. Over the years, not much has changed with the property.
Detroit: 1951 and 2002.
These two aerial photos, both centered on Detroit's downtown core, are a tale of two cities. The first shows Detroit at the height of its period as an industrial and automotive powerhouse, and the second shows it during a period of decline.
Detroit's decline has been so pronounced - and even unprecedented - that it's given rise to something truly unique: the development of urban meadows, or areas that were once heavily settled that are reverting back to nature.
Kharkov, Ukraine: 2022 and 2022.
This remarkable photo shows a truly changed urban landscape - only these two photos weren't taken years apart. In fact, both were snapped during the same calendar year, showing the before and after of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
It's a powerful reminder of how quickly once-peaceful areas can become completely destroyed and devastated by warfare. It will likely take years, if not decades, for these city streets to be rebuilt and restored to their former status.
The Shambles, York, UK: Late 1800s and 2020.
Aside from some new signage, and likely some serious work behind the scenes to increase structural stability, The Shambles hasn't changed much over the past 125 years or so. In fact, it hasn't changed a whole lot since the 14th century.
This historic street in York, England dates back centuries, and is today a beloved historic site. If it looks familiar, that's because it served as the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter franchise.
Curecanti Needle, Colorado: 1880s and 2023.
When it comes to geology, things tend to move slowly. The Curecanti Needle, located along the Gunnison River in Colorado, won't exist forever - erosion will see to that. But for recorded human history, and the foreseeable future, it's been essentially unchanged.
Composed of hard granite, the Curecanti Needle is more than 700 feet tall and has served as a landmark for generations of people, from native people to pioneers to modern-day adventurers and sightseers.
Crater Lake, Oregon: 1982 and 2022.
Crater Lake is renowned for its clear, cold waters, which display a remarkable shade of blue. The rugged surrounding landscape, and the lake itself, are the result of an ancient volcano that was formed about 7,700 years ago.
These two photos, which were consciously taken from the same angle and using similar subjects, show just how little this natural wonder has changed over the years. Crater Lake, along with Crater Lake National Park, remain a popular spot for tourists and adventurers.
Uelzen, Lower Saxony, Germany: 1945 and 2021.
When touring some of the picturesque town squares throughout continental Europe, it's eas to forget that these small towns saw some of the fiercest fighting in not one, but two separate 20th century wars.
The town square in Uelzen, Lower Saxony looks like many others in Germany and beyond - but in April of 1945, during the Battle of the Rhine, it was a warzone. It's surreal seeing some of the monuments still standing.
Flatiron Building, New York: 1917 and 2012.
New York's historic Flatiron Building isn't the only building fitting this profile in the world - there's a similar building in Toronto - but it's the most famous. The 22-storey landmark was constructed in 1902 with 20 storeys, with two floors added later on.
The building is 87 feet wide at its back end, which is pretty typical for high rises of the era. But at its narrow front end, necessitated by the surrounding streets, it's only 6 and a half feet wide.
St. Elizabeth's Church, Wroclaw, Poland: 1976 and 2022.
Like many of the great churches throughout Europe, St. Elizabeth's Church is old - really old. The original structure dates back to the 14th century, and it's anchored Wroclaw's historic Old Town area ever since.
The church was gutted by a major fire in 1976, the results of which can be seen in the older photo. While the blaze destroyed the church's organ, dedicated restoration work quickly took place. The organ was replaced and the church was restored to its former grandeur.
Woodstock site, Bethel, NY: 1969 and 2020.
Woodstock, which is today seen as the biggest event, or culmination, of the 1960s countercultural movement, took place in a quaint farmer's field in upstate New York. Nearly half a million people attended the multi-day event to watch concerts by some of the biggest names in the music industry.
Today, the site of Woodstock is largely the same as it was before the big festival: a big, undeveloped expanse of grass. It's hard to believe that so many people once gathered in this remote area.
Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC: 1922 and 2016.
When people call Washington a "swamp," they're often making a commentary on the state of political discourse. But DC was literally built along swampland along the Potomac River - and this old pic of the Lincoln Memorial shows how things looked before there'd been much development in the area.
It's truly remarkable how the Lincoln Memorial slots in with Washington's other landmarks, but was clearly built during a much different time for the District of Columbia.
Death Valley, California: 1980s and 2005.
Here's an interesting one: a look at the road to Jabba the Hutt's Palace, on the planet of Tatooine, in a galaxy far, far away, a long, long time ago. We're kidding, of course - the scene was actually shot here on Earth - in Death Valley, California, to be exact.
Anyone who's ever been in Death Valley can probably understand why it served as a stand-in for the hot, arid desert planet of Tatooine - it is, after all, a hot, arid desert.
Chester, Massachusetts: 1892 and 2024.
These two pics show the center of the small town of Chester, Massachusetts. It's interesting seeing this comparison not for a big city like New York, but for a small town that stayed a small town.
Aside from the trees growing up and becoming more mature, along with a more modern road, a walk through Chester in 2024 clearly looks much the same as it did in the 19th century. It's a fascinating comparison.
Farmhouse, Pittsburg, New Hampshire: 1970s and 2020.
This isn't the first house to be abandoned, nor will it be the last. Still, it's haunting to see a property that was once tidy and well-kept falling into disrepair over the course of decades.
The original house here was built around 1850 or so. Knowing that the older picture was taken in the 1970s shows us that this house was inhabited for a long time - more than a century - before it was eventually abandoned.
Gdańsk, Poland: 1945 and 2024.
Scenes like the above photo were common all over Europe after the end of World War II, and innumerable cities were forced to rebuild after being bombed into oblivion. Apart from the river, there are few consistent landmarks in between these photos.
It's interesting that Gdańsk rebuilt itself in a classical European style. Many cities that were subject to destruction during World War II rebuilt themselves in a more 'modern' way - one that can look pretty dated today.
Arch of Ctesiphon, Iran: 600 AD and 2021.
It goes without saying, but photography didn't exist in 600 AD, so the top pic is just a realistic rendering. The Arch of Ctesiphon is an impressive landmark, even if it is mostly ruined today.
The fact that parts of the arch are still standing is a testament to ancient engineering techniques, along with the structural strength of the arch shape. Of all the ways that buildings can crumble, their arches are generally the most resilient.
Thomasville, Georgia: 1895 and 2020.
This big oak tree in Thomasville, Georgia - a city of about 19,000 people today - is known, appropriately enough, as The Big Oak. The photo comparison shows that it was already a big oak in the 19th century, and it's an even bigger oak today.
The biggest change in the photos, apart from the tree's slightly increased size, is the removal of the fence at some point in the intervening century. It was clearly just getting in the way.
Los Angeles: late 19th century and 2001.
It's always interesting to see how much Los Angeles has grown in the past century and change. What was once a dusty hamlet of orange groves is now the center of the world's entertainment industry.
Even more fascinating is the fact that the more recent photo was taken more than twenty years ago, all the way back in 2001. That means that an even more modern photo would show significant growth from the 2001 pic.
Prague: 1910 and 2020.
Prague, like so many other big European cities, retains much of its classical styling from the past few centuries. It's remarkable to see just how little this vista has changed over the decades.
It looks like the buildings are largely the same in the two photos, perhaps with a few renovations and facelifts over the years. But the shape of the street and sidewalk, and even the paving materials, look like they never changed.
Elbbrücke Bridge, Germany: 1959 and 2023.
This bridge in Hamburg looks like a fairly modern one, with a unique spiral shape. But the earlier photo shows us that the bridge has had that styling for more than half a century.
It's hard to know whether the modern bridge looks better in its more streamlined format, or if it lost some of its character along the way when the grandiose castle-looking entrance was removed. In any event, it's a cool bridge to look at.
Baker Street Station, London: 1863 and 2021.
Subways seem like impossibly modern inventions: trains that ignore the street grid, hurtling through massive underground tunnels across miles of a big city. But in London, the Underground system goes back more than 150 years.
This comparison shows the Baker Street tube station, the oldest such station in the world. While the people on the platform look quite a bit different, the pics show that very little has changed along the platform in 150+ years.
Philadelphia: late 1980s and 2024.
The pic of Will Smith as he raps out the theme song for his show (and just before he got in one little fight, which made his mom scared, you know the rest...) is deeply ingrained in the consciousness of most '90s kids.
The basketball court in question, in case you're interested, is the Roberto Clemente Playground at 1800 Wallace Street in Philly's Spring Garden neighborhood. It's just a humble basketball court, but it seems like a great place for a pilgrimage.
Dallas: 2001 and 2021.
This pic shows us just how much a city's downtown area can grow in a relatively short period of time. The big, white-roofed building that stands more or less alone in the earlier pic is the American Airlines Center, which opened in 2001.
While it's debatable if new stadiums and arenas really deserve to receive public funding, this pic shows us that they can anchor new developments. The arena was basically in a wasteland in 2001, and now it's surrounded by activity.
Schönbrunn Palace: 1991 and 2017.
There's a fun personal angle to this one, as the guy in the 2017 photo is the son of the woman in the 1991 photo. What's more, they didn't plan this. They just both happened to take trips - and pose for photos - at the same location.
Schönbrunn Palace is a sprawling property and one of Vienna's major tourist attractions over the decades. The palace itself dates back more than 300 years.
Hollywood High School, Los Angeles: 1941 and 2021.
Hollywood High is built in that beautiful art deco style that's so prevalent in early 20th century buildings throughout Los Angeles. While parts of the school have changed a lot over the years, this angle has mostly remained the same.
The list of famous alumni from this famous school is too extensive to go into. But when you look into all of Hollywood High's famous alums, it becomes clear that no other high school has seen so many future stars walk through its doors.
York, England: 1865 and 2015.
York is anchored by a famous cathedral, and its human history goes back all the way to the time of Rome's occupation of England. These pics show York's city center, which has changed very little over the past 150 years.
The city, situated at the confluence of the Foss and Ouse Rivers, was initially founded by the Romans as Eboracum in 71 AD. It's been known by a few names over the years, and has been steadily inhabited ever since.
Belfast: 1912 and 2015.
The thing to note in these photos isn't really the ship drydock itself, which is unremarkable. The most dramatic part is that the 1912 photo shows the Titanic before it traveled to Southampton, and eventually on its doomed maiden voyage.
The modern buildings on the right weren't around in 1912, and the 1912 smokestack was taken down at some point over the years. But the building on the right, along with the drydock itself, have shown remarkable longevity.
Manhattan: 1908 and 2021.
One of many things that defines New York is its many iconic bridges that carry traffic between Manhattan and its other four boroughs (plus New Jersey). Views like this, showing a bridge peeking out between buildings, are common.
What's less common is seeing a vintage photo of one of these great bridges under construction. At the time the 1908 photo was taken, the Manhattan Bridge's towers had gone up, but there was still some time to go before the completion of the roadway.
Bath, England: 1829 and 2020.
This palatial view shows us the Royal Crescent, which isn't a palace at all, but actually a row of 30 terraced houses laid out in a big, sweeping crescent. It's one of the most unique examples of rowhouses in the world.
The Crescent, which opened up in 1774 after seven years of construction, is today a well-known landmark in the area. It's seen as one of the most impressive examples of Georgian architecture still in existence.
Hong Kong: 1964 and 2016.
Even though this comparison shows a mind-boggling amount of change in just 50 or so years, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise - Hong Kong is well known to be one of the biggest cities, and fastest-growing, in the world.
This vista shows the Kowloon Peninsula, which makes up the southern part of Hong Kong's main landmass. In 1964, it was lightly settled - but today, it would be hard to find any space for new construction.
New Hampshire: 1839 and 2018.
You're looking at Crawford Notch in New Hampshire - first in an epic 1839 painting by Thomas Cole, and then as it appears in modern times. The addition of the highway spoils things a bit, but it's still a gorgeous sight to behold.
When you look at the region's geography, it quickly becomes apparent why that highway is needed. Crawford Notch is the main pass, or route, through the White Mountains, meaning that it's the best spot to build a highway through.
Vladimir, Russia: 1911 and 2015.
These two photos look like they could have been taken five minutes apart, but they were actually snapped more than a century apart. The most fascinating aspect may not be the comparison itself, but the technology involved in the old photo.
Most pics from 1911 are sepia-toned and grainy, but this one is crystal clear - and the colors are real, not digitally added. The photo was snapped by Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky, who pioneered early color photography.