Category: Then & Now
Compare history with the present in fascinating “Then and Now” photo pairs. See how cities, landmarks, and people changed over time.
These visual contrasts show the beauty of transformation and the persistence of heritage.
-
#5 The Stanford Arch.
This “Then & Now” historical photo highlights The Stanford Arch, capturing an iconic campus landmark with a dramatic mix of past damage and present-day surroundings. The towering stone arch dominates the scene, framed by the familiar arcades and red-tile roofs that define Stanford’s Romanesque-style architecture.
-
#21 People mill around Lotta’s Fountain, which served as a meeting place after the quake
This “Then & Now” image centers on Lotta’s Fountain, a distinctive downtown landmark that became a gathering point after the earthquake. The scene blends past and present, showing people milling around the fountain in a historical view while a modern city street carries on around the same spot.
-
#37 Cable car #455 rests halfway in the partially-detroyed cable car barn.
Cable car #455 sits at a jarring angle, resting halfway inside a partially destroyed cable car barn as debris blankets the ground around it. The historic black-and-white scene captures the car’s damaged roof and broken framework, frozen in a moment of disruption that highlights how vulnerable even sturdy public transit infrastructure can be.
-
#53 Bluxome near 6th St.
This “Then & Now” post looks down Bluxome near 6th St., where a modern streetscape is paired with a dramatic historical scene layered into the roadway. The contemporary view shows parked cars, sidewalks, and mid-rise buildings, while the black-and-white image reveals a street torn apart by damage, with broken cobblestones and debris stretching into the…
-
#69 Stockton and Market facing the Phelan Building.
This “Then & Now” view looks down Stockton and Market facing the Phelan Building, blending a present-day street scene with a historic photograph from the same vantage point. The modern storefronts, bare-branched trees, and street markings frame the image, while the earlier scene fades in across the center, making the contrast in textures and architecture…
