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‘Old Photos In Real Life’: 35 Pics That Show How Much Time Affects Everything (New Pics)
Interview
Our passion for photography is only matched by our love of history and everything that’s vintage. We firmly believe that only a solid grasp of history can help us avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and lead to a better future for everyone. And there’s nothing like a direct comparison to really show us how much time and life have changed things.
That’s the beauty of the ‘Old Photos In Real Life’ subreddit, a celebration of the contrast between the past and modern life. The page features photos from both the past and present, comparing them side by side in order for everyone to truly get how deep some of the changes go. And, in some rare cases, how in some locations things have pretty much stayed more or less the same over the decades and even centuries.
Scroll down for the best pics featured by ‘Old Photos In Real Life,’ and remember to upvote the ones that impressed you the most. Tell us all about your favorite pics and why you enjoyed them in the comment section at the bottom of this list, dear Pandas. Meanwhile, if you’re in the mood for some more great examples of rephotography, be sure to check out these articles right here and here.
Bored Panda got in touch with moderator u/Npbugati who told us all about the history of r/OldPhotosInRealLife, how they created a 'ghost' bot to help moderate the community, and why the subreddit is important to them. Scroll down for Bored Panda's interview with them, as well as for our chat about rephotography with professional photographer Dominic Sberna.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Holland, 82-2020
RELATED:
#2
Here’s A Wonderful 1915 Pasadena Craftsmen Located In Bunglsow Heaven That I Had The Pleasure Of Purchasing And Restoring A Few Years Back. Although This House Was Only 950 Sqft It Took Nearly 2 Years To Complete The Renovations Due To Working With The Pasadena Historical Society And City Permitting
#3
Chróstnik Palace 2009 vs. 2021. Chróstnik, Lubin County, Poland.
#4
Borodyanka, Ukraine – Before The War And Today
#5
Edinburgh, Scotland
#6
Railway Station In Okhtyrka, Ukraine
#7
Moore Hall, Ireland, 1800s vs. Today
#8
For The First Time In 76 Years, Wwii Veteran Robert White Stands In The Vicinity In Which He Landed After Jumping Into Germany In March Of 1945. He Was As A Paratrooper With The 17th Airborne Division.
#9
Odessa, Ukraine 1942- And Today
#10
Newcastle Castle, UK - 1895 To 2022
#11
A 3.300-Year-Old Chariot Bridge Is Still In Use Today. The Arkadiko Bridge Was Built Between 1300 And 1190 Bce, Making It One Of The Oldest Still-Used Arch Bridges Still In Existence. It Was Built On A Road That Linked Tiryns To Epidaurus, And Was Part Of A Larger Military Road System.
#12
Tunnel Rock At Sequoia National Park, 1952 And 2020
Raena Celis 4 years ago
The road was closed off to preserve the structure of the hanging rock. And to prevent someone from getting smashed I'm sure. May it last another 100 years
#13
Bhitargaon Temple, Kanpur, India. 1875 And 2011. Built In 5th Century Ce And Renovated By British In 1901. It's The Oldest Surviving Brick Structure In India
Rabbit Carrot 4 years ago (edited)
Glad it’s one ancient site being preserved and restored rather than shelled or knocked down.
#14
Before And After Boston's Big Dig, 1980s vs. Now
Bobbie Meyers 4 years ago
Wait, what? A city got rid of a road in favor of greenery? Bassackards but I love it.
#15
The Arch Of Ctesiphon As It May Have Appeared In 600ad. Compared To Its Remaining Ruins Today In Iraq
Rabbit Carrot 4 years ago (edited)
Much of its damage is a lot more modern than you might think. It was heavily hit by the British during WW1 and no doubt by later invasions from various factions.
#16
Washington Square Arch In NYC
#17
The Monstrosity That Was The Kowloon Walled City
秋也 篠原 4 years ago (edited)
The thing is, most of the people living there were forcibly kicked out without anywhere to go. They wanted to clean the space because it was a stain on the image of the city, not because they cared about the welfare of the people. They were compensated of course. Of roughly $350 million, divided amongst the ~50000 residents. Which equates to roughly $7000 per person. Which is nowhere enough to survive without a home. Was the walled city awful? Yes. But the people living there, lived in their own prosperity; in their own eco-system, untouched by outside authorities. It's debatable to say whether demolishing the city is actually progress, or if it's just capitalism.
#18
Wrocław 1945 And 2022
#19
Panch Ratha Monument, Mahabalipuram, India. Monolithic Temples Sculptured From Granite Rocks Between 630 - 668 Ce. 1825 Sketch By J. Braddock J. Gantz And Now. It's A Unesco World Heritage Site.
#20
Circa 1803 Hope Plantation, Windsor, North Carolina Before And After Restoration
#21
The Lincoln Memorial In 1920 Before The Reflecting Pool Was Built.
Rabbit Carrot 4 years ago (edited)
The reflecting pool does add to the site. It looked abandoned before and like the swamp it probably was.
#22
Same Car 1988 vs. 2021, Somewhere In Japan
#23
Captured Japanese Mini Submarine In The Aleutian Islands, 1943 And 2021
#24
Bok Tower (Built 1929) And Today …
#25
Unknowingly Captured The Same Image In 2020 That My Dad Took On Vacation Back In 1965 - Shenandoah Np
#26
Times Square A Few Years Apart
#27
The Mahabodhi Temple At Bodh Gaya, India, As Seen From A Second Century Plaque And How It Looks Like Today
Just me, myself, and I 4 years ago
I'd love to see something that old! Would I be allowed to touch it? I love touching old things and imagining the people from the past who have touched it too.
#28
Manhattan, 1931 To 2018
Rabbit Carrot 4 years ago (edited)
And yet there’s actually LESS people living in Manhattan today than there was then (in 1930 it was 1,867,312 and today it’s around 1,694,251). We’ve just added more skyscrapers and found new ways to live.
#29
Chernobyl Power Plant Control Room In 1986 And Now
Rabbit Carrot 4 years ago (edited)
Probably looks a lot worse now due to the recent Russian take over.
#30
Sas-Bahu Temple, Gwalior Fort, Gwalior, India. 1869 And 2019. The Temple Was Built In 1093.
#31
Clifton Rocks Railway, Clifton, Bristol. 1905 And Today
phil bishop 4 years ago
There is a restoration group working to get this running again. Support them online.
#32
Family Farmhouse 1912-2022 (I'd Especially Like To Note That The Green Bench Has Been On The Front Porch For At Least 110 Years)
Nadine Bamberger 4 years ago
On the right side photo, next to the left column and in front of the window, there is a ghost woman with a hat.
#33
Hiking On The Faroes Guided By The Old Cairns
#34
Edinburgh Princes Street, 1996 - Now
#35
Nickelodeon Studios In The 90’s vs. The Same Building Today
#36
The Manufacture, Lodz, Poland. 1980's vs. Now
#37
My Town’s Fire House: Circa 1926 vs. 2021
#39
Mont Saint Michel, France, 1908-2016
#40
Radar O'reiley From Opening Credits Of M*a*s*h 1972 And Me In Close To The Same Spot 2019.
#41
Irpin, Ukraine, Europe
#43
I Went To Petra, Jordan; Where They Filmed Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
#44
Rio De Janeiro, Brasil 100 Years Apart
#45
Griffith Park Observatory With The Los Angeles Cityscape In The Background (Ca. 1930s / 2019)
#46
Royal Hotel Also Called As Rajkumari Bai Ki Kothi, Jabalpur India. Built 1857. Photos From 1860 And 2109.
#47
Over 100 Years Apart, Newcastle's Central Station, UK (Angles Slightly Off)
#48
Detroit: A Decade Of Change From ~2010-2021 (Google Maps)
#49
Vamana Temple, Khajuraho, India. Built 1050. Pictured In 1871 And 2010.
#50
C.1904 Colorized Library Of Congress Photo Of The Eden Park Reservoir And Pumping Station Near Cincinnati, Ohio. Built From 1866 - 1878 And In Use Until 1965. Remains Shown In Photo Below.
Rabbit Carrot 4 years ago
Shame it’s been lost, that is a beautiful structure in the top image
#51
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, 1930 And Now
#52
The First McDonald's In Worcester - 1964 vs. 2021
#53
Ooth Kadal Bridge, In Middle Of Dal Lake, Srinagar, Kashmir, India. 1891, 2019, 2021. Built In 1670's By The Mughals. Restored In 2021 With The Help Of German Government.
Rabbit Carrot 4 years ago
The middle picture actually looks quite nice. The 2021 doesn’t look appealing at all.
#55
Over 100 Years Apart, A Bridge And House In North East England
#56
Zebra Drawn Carriage Outside The Albert Hall, London, 1894.
#57
Panch Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, India. 1890 And 2019.
#58
New York City Blackout In 1977 And Now.
#59
Rysstad, Norway, 1888 - 2013
#60
Museum Of Fine Arts - Santa Fe, Nm. 2022 - 1920?
#61
My Grandmother's Photo Of The Matterhorn From Zermatt And Mine, Approximately 50 Years Apart
#62
Small Home In Detroit 2009, 2011 And 2015
Vision Jinx 4 years ago
That headless mannequin/doll in the top window of the second picture is incredibly creepy
#63
Lower East Side In New York City (1980 And Now)
#64
Comparison Of Chicago Midway Sent To Me By A Friend (1950s/2010s).
#65
1878 Victorian In Central Pennsylvania, United States Photos: 1920s & 2021
#66
Bristol Harbour, Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol, UK. Late 19th Century And Now.
#67
Betsy Ross House, Philadelphia 1909 - 2020
#68
King Island Alaska, Abandoned Some Time In The Mid Century
Kira Okah 4 years ago
They didn't have much choice in the matter. The native people's kids were forciby relocated to the mainland after the Bureau of Indian Affairs closed their school, which forced the elders onto the mainland because they couldn't maintain their way of life without their children.
#69
The Llandoger Trow Inn, Bristol, UK. Built In 1664, And One Of Britain’s Oldest And Most Well Known Pubs, It’s Said To Be The Inspiration For Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island”, And Daniel Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe”.
Kira Okah 4 years ago (edited)
1664 one of the oldest? The UK has a great number of pubs easily dating to the 11th/12th century, and the oldest still running is 8th century. It's not even anywhere near the oldest pub in Bristol either - Bristol has a few 12th-14th century pubs. This is though a very nice building and glad that it is still around.
#70
Old Manchester Town Hall, Manchester. Photographed Between 1878 And 1897 And Today
#71
When Grandparents Are Gone, The Family Is Over
#72
Then & Now: Curates Street, Ephesus, 2nd Century Ad. / Illustration Credit: Akg-Images
#74
We Used To Have No Neighbours For Miles, But Times Have Changed. It Was Better Then.
#75
The Photos Are 1900-2021 Of Brookfield Farmhouse, Weston Road, England.
Pat Bond 4 years ago
Brookfield Farmhouse still looks almost the same today as it did on this postcard, although it has long ceased to be a working farm. However,the barn on its right has gone and also the front garden and its wall. These disappeared when the road was widened. The road leading off front-right is Highlands Road. The curved high wall and trees seen on the right following the line of the road were reduced in size or removed, respectively, when the war memorial was erected there after the First World War.
#76
La Seine, Paris, 1930 / Now.
#77
Boston 1888 & 2015
#78
Oak Tower In Kansas City. The Building Was “Updated” In The 70’s By Removing The Terra Cotta And Gargoyles.
#79
Budapest - Elisabeth Bridge 1903-2003
#80
Tbilisi, Georgia. Botanicheskaya Street In 1916 And Now.
#82
Early 1900s vs. 2021, Same Location. Aukra, Norway
#83
This Isn’t Perfect, But I’m 38 Now And This Is Me Making A Pie In Middle School And Standing In My Moms Kitchens Now.
#84
Things Have Changed A Lot In Manhattan Since The 1970s.
#85
Kennecott Copper Mines, Alaska
#86
Warren Sq. (Defunct), Roxbury, Boston Ma, 1902 (Colorized) vs. 2022 (From Google Earth)
#87
Grandma's House 1979 vs. Today
#88
Central Railway Station Of The Capital Of Ukraine
#89
Construction For A Sewer In 1913, And Work Being Done In The Spot 109 Years Later. Ogden, Utah.
#90
The Waldo/Robin Williams Tunnel, San Francisco, Ca. 1971/Now. (1971 Shot Is A Still From Dirty Harry)
#92
11 Years Of Decay - Martindale Feed Mill - Marshall, Texas
#93
Before And After Of Baquedano Square (Santiago, Chile). Destroyed By Constant Riots
#94
Athens, Greece
Jasper Cool 4 years ago
I know the building enroachment in the 2nd picture is bad but it's a beautiful photograph just generally.
#95
Battle Of The Bulge, 77 Years Apart
#96
The Day The Sky Turned Orange In San Francisco vs. Today
#97
A Lot Has Changed In Manhattan Since The Early 1940s
#98
1921 vs. 2021, Vienna, Austria
#99
E. 49th Street And 5th Ave, Manhattan, NY. (1940-2021)
#100
Hannover, Germany | Then And Now
#101
Things Have Changed A Lot In The Bronx Since The 1980s
#102
President's Residence, University Of Idaho
#103
Crawford Notch In New Hampshire, In An 1839 Thomas Cole Painting And A 2018 Photograph
Izzy Curer 4 years ago (edited)
The painter took quite a few artistic liberties to make the structure of the landscape look more dramatic. Pretty interesting
#104
Random Street Corner In Detroit (2001 And Now)
#105
Grand Rapids Michigan - 1968 & Now
#106
Old Town Square In Prague, 1918 And Today
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What do you think ?
Kel_how 4 years ago
I was waiting for Sagrada Familia...for the before and after to look the same 😁
Viv Hart 4 years ago
When I saw it in 1968, there were only 4 tall spires, now there are about 20!!! Love Gaudi's work!
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