Striking Photos Show New York Then and Now

By Alice Yoo on November 14, 2012

Central Park, 1933 vs Now

Take a journey with us, if you will, back in time to see how one of the most important cities in the world has evolved. Evan Joseph, one of New York's leading photographers of architecture, had previously given as an incredible birds eye view of New York City at night by precariously dangling out of a tiny helicopter. He's now back with a new book called New York Then and Now. Not yet released to the public, this is your sneak peek.

Out December 3, the book shows how Joseph is still pushing himself, creativity and technically, by meticulously setting up shots to match ones taken in the previous century. Every image in the book was shot from the exact same angle as the historic image it is being compared to. Also, Joseph would go so far as to wait several hours until he could match the lighting.

When asked what he hopes others get out of this project, Joseph told us this, “I hope that this project helps to activate a viewer's sense of historical imagination: there are old buildings everywhere and we all catch a glimpse of a carved pillar or an ornate door and marvel that they made it through it years, but it's my wish that through the lens of ‘Then and Now' we can really see these things in context and picture the rest of the scene as it once was. One three-story townhouse surrounded by glass towers can transport you back to 1912, standing in the exact same spot as that original photographer, on different pavement and maybe several feet higher or lower, but it's magic when that touchstone from the past locks into the scene and you truly feel the sense of space and place around you.”

Comparing the old and new photos is a wonderful way to experience the beauty of diversity of New York. Not only do we get to see how iconic places like Wall Street, Grand Central, and Union Square have changed, we're presented with a visual story that tells us that, while New York's massive skyscrapers have come and gone, the dynamic feel of the city will live on forever.