To impart some timeless wisdom: old photos are cool. Old places are cool. So here are some side-by-sides of old and new photos of old-timey places, just because it’s fun to compare. Please enjoy:
1. The Empire State Building in 1931, the year of its completion…
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
…versus today:
New York cityscape seen from above with clear blue sky.
Alexander Spatari / Getty Images
2. Flooding in St. Mark’s Square, Venice in about 1910…
Marka / Touring Club Italiano/Marka/Universal Images Group via Getty
…versus the flooding in 2019:
Person wading through floodwaters in front of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, carrying a bag over their shoulder
3. The Eiffel Tower during the liberation of Paris in 1944…
Stf / AFP via Getty Images
…and on Bastille Day in 2024:
Olympia De Maismont / AFP via Getty Images
4. Not quite the 20th Century, but: Chichén Itzá in 1892 before excavation…
Collection of Negatives and Prints, 1895-1908: Peabody Museum Archives, Harvard University / Via https://en.m.wikipedia.org
…versus Chichén Itzá today:
Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico, North America
John Elk / Getty Images
5. Downtown Shanghai in 1930…
General Photographic Agency / Getty Images
…versus downtown Shanghai today:
Nikada / Getty Images
6. The Casino de Monte-Carlo in Monaco in 1913…
Ullstein Bild Dtl. / ullstein bild via Getty Images
…versus the Casino in 2013:
Sylvain Sonnet / Getty Images
7. Abu Simbel in 1933…
A person in blue attire stands on the knee of a colossal ancient Egyptian statue at Abu Simbel, highlighting the statue’s monumental size
The image shows the Great Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel, featuring four large seated statues of Ramses II carved into the rock facade
Print Collector / Print Collector / Getty Images, Jose A. Bernat Bacete / Getty Images
…versus Abu Simbel today:
Fun fact: In the 1960s, Ramses II’s temples at Abu Simbel were actually cut, moved, and reassembled to avoid being submerged by the Nile following the construction of the Aswan High Dam.
Brandon Rosenblum / Getty Images
8. Tokyo in the 1920s…
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
…and Tokyo today:
Pongnathee Kluaythong / Getty Images
9. The Sunset Strip in 1937…
Bettmann / Getty Images
…and in 2021:
Crowd gathers outside The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles for Sirius XM & Pandora Small Stage Series featuring J. Cole
10. Mount St. Helens in 1933 and in 1980 during its eruption, and…
A serene lake reflects a snow-capped mountain surrounded by forest
Eruption of Mount St. Helens with a large ash cloud rising above the mountain, seen from a lake surrounded by dense forest
Historical / Corbis via Getty Images, Steve Terrill / Getty Images
…Mount St. Helens today!
Danielle D. Hughson / Getty Images
11. The Flatiron Building on Fifth Avenue and Broadway in 1920 and in 1965…
Historical photo of the Flatiron Building in New York City, with people and vehicles on the street. Buildings at both sides. Tall trees in the foreground
Historic photo of a busy New York City intersection with the Flatiron Building in the background and street signs for 5th Avenue and Broadway
Design Pics Editorial / Design Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, Archive Photos / Getty Images
…and the Flatiron Building today:
Tony Shi Photography / Getty Images
12. People in front of the Hungarian Parliament Building during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956:
Hulton Archive / Getty Images
…and the Hungarian Parliament Building today:
Jungang Yan / Getty Images
13. Hiroshima in 1945, after the Atomic Bombing…
Dukas / Universal Images Group via Getty Images
…versus Hiroshima today:
The Atomic Bomb Dome building, seen in both pictures, has been left in its original state since 1945.
Jackyenjoyphotography / Getty Images
14. The Brandenburg Gate hung with Nazi flags in 1936 and behind the Berlin Wall in 1982, and…
A historic photo of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, adorned with Nazi and Olympic flags, with cars and people in front
The image depicts the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin with a sign in the foreground reading
Getty Images, Sahm Doherty / Getty Images
…the Brandenburg Gate in 2024:
Nikada / Getty Images
15. Princess Diana posing at the Taj Mahal in 1992…
Tim Graham / Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images
…versus tourists visiting in the rain in 2023:
Pawan Sharma / AFP via Getty Images
16. The Titanic setting sail from Southampton in 1912…
Universal History Archive / Universal Images Group via Getty Images
…versus the bow of the ship at the wreck site:
Underwater image of the bow of the Titanic wreck, with visible railings and deteriorated structure
Underwater image of the Titanic’s bow section, showing the decayed and rusted remains of the shipwreck beneath the ocean
Xavier Desmier / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images, Ralph White / Getty Images
17. The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona in 1936…
Ullstein Bild Dtl. / ullstein bild via Getty Images
…versus the Sagrada Familia today:
Construction began in 1882 and is still going strong!
Alexander Spatari / Getty Images
18. A church in Boscotrecase, Naples buried in lava flow after Mt. Vesuvius erupted…
Ullstein Bild Dtl. / ullstein bild via Getty Images
…versus the same church today:
19. Anchorage, Alaska after the 1964 earthquake…
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
…versus Anchorage today:
Bruce Yuanyue Bi / Getty Images
20. The Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy after the November 1966 flood…
Afp / AFP via Getty Images
…versus the Ponte Vecchio today:
Pablo Charlón / Getty Images
21. The fire and aftermath of the Tillamook Burn forest fire in Oregon in 1933…
Thick, heavy smoke plumes rise from a forest fire, with charred trees visible in the foreground
A forest area with numerous standing and fallen charred tree trunks, suggesting the aftermath of a forest fire. No people are present
Mpi / Getty Images
…versus the Tillamook State Forest today:
Aerial view of a densely forested mountain range with rolling peaks in the distance, under a clear sky
A misty forest scene with tall trees, lush green undergrowth, and a prominent fallen tree with exposed roots in the foreground
Sycikimagery / Getty Images, Zeb Andrews / Getty Images
22. The Manhattan skyline in 1950…
Atlantic-kid / Getty Images/iStockphoto
…versus the Manhattan skyline today:
Matteo Colombo / Getty Images
23. Dresden after its bombing in 1945, shot by Richard Peter…
Picture Alliance / picture alliance via Getty Images
…and Dresden today:
You can see the Cathedral in both photos!
Artie Photography (artie Ng) / Getty Images
24. And finally, the Ziggurat of Ur in Iraq in 1929, before it was fully excavated…
Photo 12 / Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
…versus the Ziggurat in 2020:
Rasool Ali / Getty Images