Photos That Put History Into Perspective

Since the invention of cameras, people have been capturing pictures of everything they deem as important in their daily lives. But they have also been taking pictures of things up to a century later!

Let’s look at a couple of side-by-side comparison shots that put history into perspective! These are some of the best historical before and after photos.

The Strand Arcade

Back in the day, the Strand Arcade was every teen in Sydney’s favorite mall to go to. But in 1976, something horrible happened. The mall fell victim to a massive fire and a huge part of the shopping center burned down. Luckily, firefighters were able to quell the fire.

Today, four decades later, the mall is thriving once again. It had been refurbished and has a more modern look today. It has finally been restored to its former glory.

Rysstad, Norway

A small village in Norway, Rysstad, was the home to the Hylestad municipality from 1915 until 1962. In 1962, it was disbanded. The photo on the left shows what it looked like back in 1888, back when people used horse-drawn vehicles and wore Victorian attire.

The photo on the right was taken in 2013 and it shows a completely different scene. Although it is still in the countryside, we can see that it is a lot more built-up than before.

Seljestadjuvet

This photo of Seljestadjuvet, Norway was taken in the late 1800s and it shows that even back then, there was a consideration for barriers. They used big rocks as barriers to prevent horse riders from falling into the lake. Over the years, this area hasn’t changed much.

And there is a good reason why. The government has wanted to reserve this area as much as possible. That’s why these two photos look mostly the same

Martin Luther Statue

This is a photo of the Martin Luther statue in Dresden, Germany. The rubble around the statue was added as a reminder of the tragedies surrounding World War II. But luckily, Dresden made a comeback.

These days, the town looks a lot better. The area surrounding the statue has been built up and the statue remains where it was placed all those years ago.