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Old photos of Benguela

24 photographs of Benguela, from 1897 to 2024 — each pinned to the exact place it was taken.

Town Hall of Benguela in 1897 — Benguela railway station of the Caminho de Ferro da Catumbela (1893-1901) 1897 Town Hall of Benguela in 2015 — Benguela Railway Station 2015
Then and now: Town Hall of Benguela, 1897 vs 2015
Have an old photo of Benguela? A family album, a postcard, a print from the attic. Pin it to the map and it becomes part of the record.
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What the photos show

The 24 photographs of Benguela on PlaceWas span 8 decades, from 1897 to 2024. 10 of them were taken before 1980; the other 14 are recent views of the same streets and landmarks.1 spot was photographed more than once, so you can compare the same street, square or building across the years.24 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.

Pick a decade to filter the photos below and the map above. Open full map ↗

Places in Benguela through time

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

Town Hall of Benguela, Benguela — photos through time
Town Hall of Benguela 19 photos · 1897–2015

Stories from Benguela

What contributors wrote about these photographs.

EU: Fachada de Cine Kalunga em Benguela (1967), Benguela, 1967
EU: Fachada de Cine Kalunga em Benguela (1967) 1967 The facade of the Cine Kalunga, a cinema in Benguela, Angola, photographed in 1967. Movie theaters such as this were fixtures of urban leisure in Angola's coastal cities during the late colonial period.
EU: Benguela: jardim (1971), Benguela, 1971
EU: Benguela: jardim (1971) 1971 A public garden in Benguela, Angola, photographed in 1971, not long before Angola's war of independence would reshape the city. Benguela's tree-lined public spaces were a legacy of its long history as a Portuguese…
EU: Benguela: administração do Concelho (1971), Benguela, 1971
EU: Benguela: administração do Concelho (1971) 1971 The municipal council administration building of Benguela, Angola, in a 1971 photograph. As the seat of local government, the Concelho's offices oversaw civic affairs in what was then one of Angola's principal port…
Banco Nacional, Benguela, Angola, Benguela, 2008
Banco Nacional, Benguela, Angola 2008 The Banco Nacional building in Benguela, Angola, is pictured in this 2008 photograph. Benguela's historic center retains a number of Portuguese colonial-era buildings from its long history as a coastal trading port.
Paços do Concelho, Benguela, Benguela, 2008
Paços do Concelho, Benguela 2008 The Paços do Concelho, or municipal town hall, of Benguela is shown in this 2008 photograph. The building reflects the Portuguese colonial architecture that shaped this Angolan port city over several centuries.
Museu Nacional de Arqueologia Benguela Angola, Benguela, 2015
Museu Nacional de Arqueologia Benguela Angola 2015 Benguela, a port city on Angola's Atlantic coast founded by Portuguese settlers in the early seventeenth century, houses the National Museum of Archaeology in one of its older colonial-era buildings. This 2015 photograph…
Palacio das Bolas, Benguela, 2015
Palacio das Bolas 2015 The Palácio das Bolas in Benguela, Angola, photographed in 2015. Benguela was founded by Portuguese colonists in the early 17th century and later grew into a major Atlantic trading and colonial administrative port.
Benguela 2, Benguela, 2024
Benguela 2 2024 Benguela is a port city on Angola's Atlantic coast whose origins trace to the era of Portuguese colonization in the early 17th century, later growing into a major trading and rail hub. This photograph was taken in 2024.
1890s · 1 photo
Benguela railway station of the Caminho de Ferro da Catumbela (1893-1901), Benguela, 1897
Benguela railway station of the Caminho de Ferro da Catumbela (1893-1901) 1897
1900s · 1 photo
EU: Benguella, ponta da Alfandega (1900), Benguela, 1900
EU: Benguella, ponta da Alfandega (1900) 1900
1910s · 1 photo
EU: [Instalações da Exposição Agrícolo-Industrial de Benguela] (1917), Benguela, 1917
EU: [Instalações da Exposição Agrícolo-Industrial de Benguela] (1917) 1917
1960s · 1 photo
EU: Fachada de Cine Kalunga em Benguela (1967), Benguela, 1967
EU: Fachada de Cine Kalunga em Benguela (1967) 1967
1970s · 6 photos
Benguela, Sombreiro, Benguela, 1970
Benguela, Sombreiro 1970
EU: Benguela: estátua de Cerveira Pereira (1971), Benguela, 1971
EU: Benguela: estátua de Cerveira Pereira (1971) 1971
EU: Benguela: jardim (1971), Benguela, 1971
EU: Benguela: jardim (1971) 1971
EU: Benguela: Colégio das Irmãs (1971), Benguela, 1971
EU: Benguela: Colégio das Irmãs (1971) 1971
EU: Benguela: administração do Concelho (1971), Benguela, 1971
EU: Benguela: administração do Concelho (1971) 1971
EU: Benguela: vista parcial da cidade (1971), Benguela, 1971
EU: Benguela: vista parcial da cidade (1971) 1971
2000s · 3 photos
Igreja Benguela, Angola, Benguela, 2008
Igreja Benguela, Angola 2008
Paços do Concelho, Benguela, Benguela, 2008
Paços do Concelho, Benguela 2008
Banco Nacional, Benguela, Angola, Benguela, 2008
Banco Nacional, Benguela, Angola 2008
2010s · 10 photos
Museu Nacional de Arqueologia Benguela Angola, Benguela, 2015
Museu Nacional de Arqueologia Benguela Angola 2015
near the railway station in Benguela Angola, Benguela, 2015
near the railway station in Benguela Angola 2015
Benguela Railway Station, Benguela, 2015
Benguela Railway Station 2015
Town Hall of Benguela, Benguela, 2015
Town Hall of Benguela 2015
Palacio do Governo Benguela Angola, Benguela, 2015
Palacio do Governo Benguela Angola 2015
monument Benguela Angola, Benguela, 2015
monument Benguela Angola 2015
Palacio das Bolas, Benguela, 2015
Palacio das Bolas 2015
Benguela Angola, Benguela, 2015
Benguela Angola 2015
Igreja Nossa Senhora do Populo, Benguela, 2015
Igreja Nossa Senhora do Populo 2015
Praia Morena, Benguela, 2015
Praia Morena 2015
2020s · 1 photo
Benguela 2, Benguela, 2024
Benguela 2 2024