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Old photos of Apia

18 photographs of Apia, from 1889 to 2016 — each pinned to the exact place it was taken.

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What the photos show

The 18 photographs of Apia on PlaceWas span 5 decades, from 1889 to 2016. 3 of them were taken before 1980; the other 15 are recent views of the same streets and landmarks.5 spots were photographed more than once, so you can compare the same street, square or building across the years.18 of the photos carry a written caption explaining what is in the frame. Every picture is pinned to the place it was taken, so the map below shows where the photographers stood.

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Places in Apia through time

Spots photographed more than once — compare the same place across the years.

Apia clock tower, Samoa - August, Apia — photos through time
Apia clock tower, Samoa - August 2 photos · 1940–2016
Apia Sea Wall, Apia — photos through time
Apia Sea Wall 2 photos · 2016
Clock Tower, Apia — photos through time
Clock Tower 2 photos · 2016
Mt Vaea, Apia — photos through time
Mt Vaea 2 photos · 2007–2016
Tower and Bank, Apia — photos through time
Tower and Bank 2 photos · 2007–2016

Stories from Apia

What contributors wrote about these photographs.

Vaea Street at Apia (Western Samoa) with Mount Vaea in Background (AM 78588-1), Apia, 1940
Vaea Street at Apia (Western Samoa) with Mount Vaea in Background (AM 78588-1) 1940 Photographed in 1940, this view down Vaea Street in Apia, Western Samoa, shows Mount Vaea rising in the background. The hill is known as the burial place of the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, who lived in Samoa…
The well-known Aggie Gray's hotel from across the harbour, Apia, 2007
The well-known Aggie Gray's hotel from across the harbour 2007 Aggie Gray's Hotel, a well-known hospitality landmark in Apia, Samoa, seen from across the harbour in this 2007 photograph. The hotel has long been one of the most recognized establishments in the Samoan capital.
Old bridge between two colonial warehouse buildings in Apia, Apia, 2007
Old bridge between two colonial warehouse buildings in Apia 2007 An old bridge links two colonial-era warehouse buildings in Apia, Samoa, photographed in 2007. Such warehouses along the waterfront once served the trading firms that built up Apia's harbor economy.
Buses and traffic on the seafront, Apia, Apia, 2007
Buses and traffic on the seafront, Apia 2007 Buses and traffic move along the seafront road in Apia, Samoa, photographed in 2007. The harbor-front thoroughfare remains a hub of transport and commerce in the Samoan capital.
Main drag, Apia, Apia, 2007
Main drag, Apia 2007 The main street of Apia, Samoa, photographed in 2007. As the country's capital and largest town, Apia has long been the commercial and administrative center of Samoa.
Apia Harbour, Apia, 2016
Apia Harbour 2016 Apia Harbour, the natural anchorage on Upolu's north coast around which Samoa's capital grew, pictured in 2016. The harbor has served as the country's principal port since the 19th century, when German, British and…
Chow Mow and Co Department Store, Apia, 2016
Chow Mow and Co Department Store 2016 Chow Mow and Co, a department store in downtown Apia, photographed in 2016. Chinese-Samoan merchant families have long been part of the capital's commercial life along its harborfront streets.
Apia Fire Station, Apia, 2016
Apia Fire Station 2016 The Apia Fire Station, photographed in 2016, sits in the compact downtown core of Samoa's capital, a city whose waterfront layout still reflects its 19th-century origins as a trading port.
1880s · 1 photo
Apia harbour Samoan after the hurricane of March, Apia, 1889
Apia harbour Samoan after the hurricane of March 1889
1900s · 1 photo
Apia harbour, Apia, 1905
Apia harbour 1905
1940s · 1 photo
Vaea Street at Apia (Western Samoa) with Mount Vaea in Background (AM 78588-1), Apia, 1940
Vaea Street at Apia (Western Samoa) with Mount Vaea in Background (AM 78588-1) 1940
2000s · 4 photos
Main drag, Apia, Apia, 2007
Main drag, Apia 2007
Buses and traffic on the seafront, Apia, Apia, 2007
Buses and traffic on the seafront, Apia 2007
Old bridge between two colonial warehouse buildings in Apia, Apia, 2007
Old bridge between two colonial warehouse buildings in Apia 2007
The well-known Aggie Gray's hotel from across the harbour, Apia, 2007
The well-known Aggie Gray's hotel from across the harbour 2007
2010s · 11 photos
Tower and Bank, Apia, 2016
Tower and Bank 2016
Apollo Cinema, Apia, 2016
Apollo Cinema 2016
Mt Vaea, Apia, 2016
Mt Vaea 2016
Apia Mall, Apia, 2016
Apia Mall 2016
John Williams monument, Apia, Samoa - August, Apia, 2016
John Williams monument, Apia, Samoa - August 2016
Apia Sea Wall, Apia, 2016
Apia Sea Wall 2016
Apia Fire Station, Apia, 2016
Apia Fire Station 2016
Clock Tower, Apia, 2016
Clock Tower 2016
Apia clock tower, Samoa - August, Apia, 2016
Apia clock tower, Samoa - August 2016
Chow Mow and Co Department Store, Apia, 2016
Chow Mow and Co Department Store 2016
Apia Harbour, Apia, 2016
Apia Harbour 2016