Sears Crescent through time

Boston 1897–2025 12 photos of this spot

12 photographs taken at the same spot in Boston, spanning 1897–2025 — 3 of them from before 1980. Line them up and watch the place change.

A streetcar crosses the intersection of Cornhill and Maplewood in Boston in this photograph from April 1897, capturing the electric trolley network that had recently replaced horse-drawn transit in many American cities of the period.

Crosswalk on Cornhill and Maplewood streetcar, April 1897 A streetcar crosses the intersection of Cornhill and Maplewood in Boston in this photograph from April 1897, capturing the electric trolley network that had recently replaced horse-drawn transit in many American cities of the period.

Looking easterly on Cornhill from opposite Franklin Avenue, April 1897 Looking easterly on Cornhill from opposite Franklin Avenue in April 1897. Construction work on the Tremont Street Subway is visible.

Boston City Hall 1975 Boston City Hall in Massachusetts, photographed in 1975. Completed in 1968 in the Brutalist style, the building anchors Government Center in downtown Boston.

Crataegus monogyna 2012 Crataegus monogyna Jacq. - common hawthorn, English hawthorn, oneseed hawthorn, single-seed hawthorn - at the Skaneateles Conservation Area, Town of Skaneateles, Onondaga County, New York

Blue hour at Boston City Hall 02 2016 Boston City Hall in Massachusetts, United States, a Brutalist civic building, photographed at dusk during the 'blue hour' in 2016.

Blue hour at Boston City Hall 03 2016 Boston City Hall, photographed at dusk in 2016. Completed in 1968 in the Brutalist style, the building has served as the seat of Boston's municipal government since it opened in Government Center.

Boston City Hall with USA and ROC National Flags 05 2021 Boston City Hall photographed in 2021, flying the flags of the United States and the Republic of China. The Brutalist building, completed in 1968, sits at the centre of Government Center.

Boston City Hall with USA and ROC National Flags 03 2021 Boston City Hall flying both the flag of the United States and the flag of the Republic of China, likely marking a civic ceremony or visiting delegation. The Brutalist city hall, completed in 1968, anchors Boston's Government Center.

Boston City Hall with USA and ROC National Flags 02 2021 Boston City Hall, the Brutalist seat of the city's municipal government in Government Center, is shown here with the national flags of the United States and the Republic of China (Taiwan) flying together.

Government Center MBTA Blue Line Platform 2024 A westbound 700-series Blue Line train departing Government Center in May 2024

Boston City Hall 2025 Boston City Hall, photographed in 2025. Completed in 1968 in the Brutalist style, the building anchors Government Center and remains one of the most debated pieces of civic architecture in the United States.

Sears Crescent 2025 The Sears Crescent building in Boston, photographed in 2025. Its curved facade dates to the mid-nineteenth century, and the giant copper kettle mounted on its corner has advertised businesses at the site since 1873.