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Old photos of Elmina

270 photographs of Elmina, from 1860 to 2025 — each pinned to the exact place it was taken.

Elmina town in 1872 — EU: Fort Sint Jago of Coenraadsburch te Elmina aan de Goudkust (nu Ghana) gebouwd in 1638 door de Nederlanders, eind 19e eeuw mogelijk van (1872) 1872 Elmina town in 2010 — Panorama of Elmina from Fort St. Jago - with St. GeorgeS Castle Visible - Elmina - Ghana 2010
Then and now: Elmina town, 1872 vs 2010
Have an old photo of Elmina? 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 270 photographs of Elmina on PlaceWas span 11 decades, from 1860 to 2025. 74 of them were taken before 1980; the other 196 are recent views of the same streets and landmarks.20 spots were photographed more than once, so you can compare the same street, square or building across the years.270 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 Elmina through time

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

Elmina town, Elmina — photos through time
Elmina town 82 photos · 1870–2023
Portuguese Church, Elmina — photos through time
Portuguese Church 42 photos · 1875–2025
Elmina Castle, Elmina — photos through time
Elmina Castle 21 photos · 1953–2025
The National Archives UK - CO, Elmina — photos through time
The National Archives UK - CO 21 photos · 1870–2025
Elmina ca, Elmina — photos through time
Elmina ca 17 photos · 1860–2019
Fort St. Jago, Elmina — photos through time
Fort St. Jago 16 photos · 2000–2018
Elmina Castle, Elmina — photos through time
Elmina Castle 11 photos · 2009
The community, Elmina — photos through time
The community 10 photos · 2014–2025
Elmina Beach, Elmina — photos through time
Elmina Beach 7 photos · 2009
Methodist Church at Elmina, Elmina — photos through time
Methodist Church at Elmina 5 photos · 2013–2025
Coast of Elmina, Elmina — photos through time
Coast of Elmina 4 photos · 2025
Elmina fort, Elmina — photos through time
Elmina fort 4 photos · 1995–2025
Elmina Castle - Ghana, Elmina — photos through time
Elmina Castle - Ghana 3 photos · 2010–2025
Elmina Castle, Elmina — photos through time
Elmina Castle 3 photos · 2006–2010
Staircase to the Governor’s bedroom at Elmina, Elmina — photos through time
Staircase to the Governor’s bedroom at Elmina 2 photos · 2023–2025
EU: Stadsgezicht met haven vanaf Elmina Castle (2002) A, Elmina — photos through time
EU: Stadsgezicht met haven vanaf Elmina Castle (2002) A 2 photos · 2002
Nana Kobina Gyan I 002, Elmina — photos through time
Nana Kobina Gyan I 002 2 photos · 2013–2025
Overzicht westgevel met toren - Elmina - - RCE, Elmina — photos through time
Overzicht westgevel met toren - Elmina - - RCE 2 photos · 2000–2011
St George's Castle, Elmina — photos through time
St George's Castle 2 photos · 2015
View from St George's Castle, Elmina — photos through time
View from St George's Castle 2 photos · 2005–2006

Stories from Elmina

What contributors wrote about these photographs.

NMM - Zicht op fort Elmina, Elmina, 1860
NMM - Zicht op fort Elmina 1860 Elmina Castle, the fortress built on Ghana's Gold Coast by the Portuguese in 1482 and later held by the Dutch, appears here from the shoreline in an 1860 view. The stronghold anchored European trade, and later the…
EU: Fort Sint Jago (Fort Coenraadsburg), Elmina, view over the Benya lagoon (1872), Elmina, 1872
EU: Fort Sint Jago (Fort Coenraadsburg), Elmina, view over the Benya lagoon (1872) 1872 Fort Coenraadsburg, also called Fort Sint Jago, stands on a hill above Elmina overlooking the Benya Lagoon on Ghana's coast. Built by the Dutch to defend the older Elmina Castle nearby, it is shown here in 1872, the year…
EU: Fort Sint Jago of Coenraadsburch te Elmina (1872), Elmina, 1872
EU: Fort Sint Jago of Coenraadsburch te Elmina (1872) 1872 Another 1872 view of Fort Coenraadsburg, known also as Fort Sint Jago, the hilltop fortification above Elmina built to protect the adjacent Elmina Castle on the Gold Coast. The photograph captures the fort's walls and…
The National Archives UK - CO, Elmina, 1875
The National Archives UK - CO 1875 Elmina, on Ghana's Gold Coast, photographed in 1875 and held in the UK National Archives' Colonial Office collection as CO 1069-30-54-1-001. By this date the settlement had passed from Dutch to British control, following…
EU: Stadsgezicht met fort op de achtergrond en kanon van Elmina Castle op de voorgrond, Ghana reis Loek Tangel (2000), Elmina, 2000
EU: Stadsgezicht met fort op de achtergrond en kanon van Elmina Castle op de voorgrond, Ghana reis Loek Tangel (2000) 2000 Photographed at Elmina during the same 2000 journey, this image frames a cannon at Elmina Castle in the foreground, with the town and fort visible behind it. Elmina Castle, built by the Portuguese in 1482, ranks among…
Elmina Castle Ramparts, Elmina, 2009
Elmina Castle Ramparts 2009 The stone ramparts of Elmina Castle overlook the Gulf of Guinea in Elmina, Ghana, in this 2009 photograph. Built by Portuguese traders in 1482 and later seized by the Dutch, the fortress became a major hub in the…
Asafo No. 1 Posuban-Shrine (Elmina, Ghana 2013), Elmina, 2013
Asafo No. 1 Posuban-Shrine (Elmina, Ghana 2013) 2013 An Asafo posuban shrine in Elmina, a coastal town in Ghana's Central Region long associated with the historic Atlantic trade. Posuban shrines, built and maintained by traditional militia companies known as asafo, are…
Staircase to the Governor’s bedroom at Elmina, Elmina, 2025
Staircase to the Governor’s bedroom at Elmina 2025 This staircase leads to the former governor's quarters within Elmina Castle, a fort built by Portuguese traders in the fifteenth century and later held by the Dutch, on Ghana's coast. Elmina Castle is among the oldest…
1860s · 3 photos
1870s · 17 photos
1880s · 1 photo
1890s · 16 photos
1900s · 1 photo
1950s · 13 photos
1960s · 23 photos
1990s · 1 photo
2000s · 76 photos · showing 12, all 76 on the map ↗
2010s · 51 photos · showing 12, all 51 on the map ↗
2020s · 68 photos · showing 12, all 68 on the map ↗