If you’ve followed this blog for any time at all you know I love old photographs, so I’ve been enjoying Historypin, a (relatively) new website from Britain on which people post/pin their old photographs for locations around the world. By “old”, I mean nineteenth century or 1999. You can search by location and even see old photographs superimposed on contemporary street scenes. What is particularly interesting about this site–about the entire project—is the range of photographs: from public and event-oriented to private and family-oriented. It’s always interesting to get a more intimate view of the past, and Historypin has the potential to do just that. There are audio and video clips as well, and “tours” that you can take through various visual histories.
You can also make your own collections, from photographs that are already on the site as well as your own. Here’s a photograph of a stylish couple at Royal Ascot in 1936 from the “Fabulous Fashion” collection:
There are not very many Salem photographs pinned to this digital map yet, but there was one I had never seen before, of an unidentified church near the House of the Seven Gables in 1929, from the collection of the Boston Public Library. The site looks unrecognizable to me, but the Gables has a very large parking lot.
There’s a very nice collection of historic photographs of Marblehead, the town next door, pinned by an obviously enthusiastic collector. I particularly like this one: four girls and their bicycles on State Street, summer of 1898.
December 1st, 2011 at 11:19 am
This is the Seaman’s Bethel; I got to visit this building in the early 60’s as a member of Explorer Post 83 ( a program for older Boy Scouts ). At that time , the Gables sponsored Ship ??, a Sea Scout unit, led by Louie Jarworski. I went into the Army after graduating high school in 1965, and the building was torn down sometime in the late 60’s. One more historic building that should have been saved ! Photos of the building are rarely seen.
This may be a good time to mention that I have a scrapbook, clipped by my father, which has Salem News clippings from 1957 to 1961 covering ALL scout activities in the Salem, Peabody, Danvers area ( the old North Shore Council. Copies or excerpts available.
December 2nd, 2011 at 8:33 am
Thanks again, Nelson. Once again, you’ve proven to be an invaluable resource!
December 1st, 2011 at 12:00 pm
These old photos are so beautiful, especially the last one. Thanks for sharing so much history & background with a lot of good photos! 🙂
December 1st, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Thanks Donna for putting me in touch with the site – takes you back!
December 3rd, 2011 at 8:54 am
Great British photographs on there, Julia.
December 1st, 2011 at 7:25 pm
That one of the girls is very sweet.. I shall check out the site too.. thank you,, good tip.. c
December 2nd, 2011 at 7:51 am
I’ll be checking out that website.
I like the bike pic.
December 2nd, 2011 at 10:53 am
Oh, you are a bad, bad influence. Now I’m off to check out Historypin, and I have a feeling that I won’t be back for several weeks….
(and the collection of photos on the BPL website have kept me up past bedtime for many a night, also)
December 3rd, 2011 at 8:55 am
Historypin needs lots more Maine photographs!