Vintage Photos of Famous Landmarks
I am a huge lover of history. I collect lots of little things like an old kitchen egg beater (see below). Some may call them usless or tchotchkes but they make me happy. The thought that someone years ago made a meal with this tool, kept it in their drawer and created things with it amazes me.
So in that same vein these old historic photos of famous landmarks was a great way to see places and not feel jealous that i wasn’t travelling there! Enjoy!
Since we can’t cross borders at the moment, reminiscing about past trips and childhood vacations scratches that travel itch just a little bit. We decided to go back even further in the timeline of travel photos, back to when sheep grazed in Central Park and the Hollywood Sign had a few extra letters. These vintage photos of the world’s most famous landmarks show how even though times have changed (then: stagecoaches; now: selfie sticks), the magnificence of these buildings, bridges, and monuments has not faded over the years. We hope you enjoy your trip down distant-memory lane.
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Eiffel Tower, 1889
French government officials celebrate the completion of the Eiffel Tower’s main structural work on March 31, 1889.
Big Ben, 1890
London’s Westminster Bridge, with the Palace of Westminster and the clocktower of Big Ben in the background.
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Notre-Dame Cathedral, 1899
An artist paints the Notre-Dame Cathedral from the Pont de l’Archevêché (Archbishop’s Bridge) in Paris.
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Hollywood(land) Sign, 1924
A sign advertises the opening of the Hollywoodland housing development in the hills on Mulholland Drive, overlooking Los Angeles in the 1920s. (The sign changed to “Hollywood” in 1949.)
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Mount Rushmore, 1930
Stone carvers on scaffolding and hoists carve the face of Thomas Jefferson into Mount Rushmore. The enormous sculpture was completed 11 years later.
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Empire State Building, 1931
A group of people (including Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was governor of New York at the time) look out from the top of the Empire State Building the morning of its official opening.
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Central Park, 1935
Lambs and sheep graze in Central Park. The burgeoning Manhattan skyline is visible through the fog in the background.
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Arc de Triomphe, 1936
A group of young women from Monte Carlo pose on a roof near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
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Golden Gate Bridge, 1936
Fishermen on San Francisco’s Baker Beach enjoy views of the Golden Gate Bridge under construction.
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Paddington Station, 1937
A train passenger visits a refreshment trolley at London’s Paddington Station. These trolleys were staffed by Great Western Railway workers and sold drinks, sandwiches, and snacks.
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The Little Mermaid, 1937
Two men photograph The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, Denmark. (It was first unveiled in 1913.)
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Grand Central Terminal, 1945
Overview of the main concourse of Grand Central Station, showing commuters and a massive advertisement to buy war bonds.
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Angkor Wat, 1949
Buddhist monks standing in front of the Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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Times Square, 1949
View of Times Square with little traffic during a New York City taxi strike in 1949.
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Taj Mahal, 1950
A family walks by the landscaped watercourse leading up to the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.
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Chicago’s State Street, 1953
Night scene of State Street in Chicago, with movie marquee advertising “The Caddy” starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
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Statue of Liberty, 1954
Visitors peek out from under the Statue of Liberty’s spiked crown on the statue’s 70th birthday.
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Niagara Falls, 1955
A couple has their photograph taken with Niagara Falls in the background.
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Disneyland, 1955
Children running through gate of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
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Grand Canal, 1959
People riding in gondolas on Venice’s Grand Canal near the Ponte dell’Accademia.
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Leaning Tower of Pisa, 1962
A woman stands in the field in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, striking the now-classic “holding up the tower” pose.
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Washington Monument, 1963
Some 250,000 demonstrators gather in front of the Washington Monument, awaiting the start of the March on Washington.
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Las Vegas Strip, 1975
A view of the intersection of the Las Vegas Strip and Riviera Boulevard, with the Morocco Motel and Sands Hotel in the background.
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St. Peter’s Square, 1976
A crowd gathers in the Vatican for the annual Easter message of Pope Paul VI from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
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Sydney Opera House, 1983
Princess Diana mingles with the crowds outside the Sydney Opera House during the Royal Family’s 1983 tour of Australia and New Zealand.
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Great Wall of China, 1998
President Bill Clinton, along with wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea, visits the Great Wall of China.
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London Eye, 1999
Skateboarders practice near the Millennium Wheel (also known as the London Eye) the weekend after it was lifted into its full vertical position.
by CAITLIN MORTON
April 28, 2020
