Time has a surreal way of quietly transforming the world around us. It reshapes landscapes, alters cities, and leaves its mark on people and cultures. These shifts are often subtle, almost imperceptible day-to-day. Yet, when we look back, the differences can be startling.
Here are 24 incredibly rare "before and after" historical photos that offer a glimpse into these dramatic transformations.
Related: Then & Now: When Past Collides With the Present
Click on images to enlarge
1. The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC in 1907...
2. And the Lincoln Memorial 100 years later
3. Hong Kong circa 1920...
4. And Hong Kong today
5. The New York City skyline in 1931...
6. And the New York City skyline today
7. The great promenade deck of the Titanic in 1912...
8. And the same deck on the Titanic today
9. The "back" of the Hoover Dam before the dam being flooded with water...
10. And the same side of the Hoover Dam today
11. Tokyo in March of 1945...
12. And Tokyo today
13. Mount Rushmore before the presidential heads were carved into it...
14. And Mount Rushmore today
15. The Berlin Wall in 1969...
16. And the same section of the Berlin Wall today
17. Machu Pichu before any restoration...
18. And Machu Picchu today
19. This is the Times Building, the center of New York's Times Square, under construction in 1903...
20. And that same area over a hundred years later
21. The city of Seattle in 1907...
22. And the city of Seattle today
23. The Hollywood sign when it was first put up...
24. And the Hollywood sign today
