Great Scott! Travel Back To 1920’s New York With Google Street View
Until we invent time travel, this'll have to do.
New York, New York. The City so nice they named it twice.
It's probably the most famous city in the world, and considering how often we've seen it portrayed in books, television and what seems like every indie movie ever made, you'd think we'd be tired of it by now.
Seriously, after over 100 years of fictionalization is there a side of New York left that we haven't seen?
Answer: Yes. In collaboration with the New York Public Library, developer Dan Vanderkam has been working to recreate the Big Apple as we've never seen it before—at least, not in this lifetime.
The project is called OldNYC, and there's way more to it than meets the eye.
Every red dot on this map represents one or more historical photographs of New York from the 19th and 20th centuries. The dots were painstakingly plotted to create what is, effectively, Google street view for Gatsby's New York.
Curious what the 5th Avenue Fourth of July Parade looked like in 1918? Well, there were fewer fireworks and more...Vikings?
What about ice skating in Central Park in 1905?
Other than the towering skyline, it wasn't much different then than it is now.
The Queensboro bridge on the other hand....
Well, it looked a bit different under construction in 1903.
Columbus Circle: Present Day
Columbus Circle: 1930.
Beyond painting a wonderful picture of how the city itself has changed over the years, the archive also gives viewers a window into the lives of regular New Yorkers.
Remember when you could casually ride your horse through Central Park? *Sigh* Those were the days.
New Yorkers: Brusquely passing each other on the street since the Great Depression (and probably well before).
Comprised of more than 80,000 images, and overflowing into Queens and Brooklyn, the project is quite comprehensive.
Immerse yourself in the history here, but history fans and anyone suffering from era dysmorphia beware. You will get lost, and you might not want to come out.