100 Photos Of New York Through Time

Historic photos compared with today’s cityscape.

Damjan

Published in Nostalgia
7 Feb 2026

Change often happens gradually, making it difficult to recognize how much a place has truly evolved until the past is set alongside the present. New York City is a perfect example. Streets, skylines, and neighborhoods that feel permanent today often look completely different when compared to their earlier versions.

[ADVERTISEMENT]

An Instagram page called “NYC Before and After” offers that side-by-side perspective. It collects archival photographs of the city and pairs them with modern images taken from the same locations. The result is a clear visual record of how the city has grown, shifted, and reinvented itself over time.

[ADVERTISEMENT]

Old storefronts give way to glass towers, quiet streets become crowded avenues, and familiar landmarks reveal just how much their surroundings have changed. Scrolling through the feed feels less like casual browsing and more like moving through a visual timeline.

Some transformations are dramatic, while others are subtle enough that you might miss them without a direct comparison. Together, they show how history, development, and everyday life have shaped the city’s identity.

The page invites viewers to slow down, examine the details, and reflect on what has been gained or lost along the way. If you want to see how the city’s past still echoes through its present, scroll to explore.

1979 & Today

1951 & Today

1916 & Today

1900’s - 1910's & Today

1960 & Today

1936 & Today

1992 & Today

Early 1950's & Today

1941 & Today

1946 & Today

1895 & Today

1947 & Today

1980 & Today

1935 & Today

1950’s & Today

1906 & Today:

1980 & Today

Early 1950’s & Today

1955 & Today

1940’s & Today

1916 & Today

1938 & Today

1965 & Today

1905 & Today

1930’s Or 40’s & Today

1983 & Today

1950’s & Today

Unknown & Today

1932 & Today

1956 & Today

1964 & Today

1903 & Today

1907 & Today

1941 & Today

1946 & Today

1918 & Today

1900 & Today

1900’s & Today

1958 & Today

1936 & Today

1979 & Today

1900-1920 & Today

1940 & Today

1930 & Today

1957 & Today

1953 & Today

1929 & Today

1915 & Today

1930 & Today

Mid 1960’s & Today

1908 & Today

1932 & Today

1904 & Today

1907 & Today

1916

1916 & Today

1955 & Today

1964 & Today

1922 & Today

1932 & Today

1915 & Today

1931 & Today

1914 & Today

1919 & Today

1922 & Today

1935 & Today

1913 & Today

Early 1900’s & Today

1919 & Today

1928 & Today

1920 & Today

1927 & Today

1945 & Today

1920s & Today

1910 & Today

1922 & Today

1919 & Today

1933 & Today

1929 & Today

1942 & Today