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Old photos of London

6 photographs of London, from 1890 to 2023 — each pinned to the exact place it was taken.

Have an old photo of London? 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 6 photographs of London on PlaceWas span 5 decades, from 1890 to 2023. 4 of them were taken before 1980; the other 2 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.5 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 London through time

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

London street scene, London — photos through time

London street scene 4 photos · 1900–2023

Stories from London

What contributors wrote about these photographs.

Big Ben and Westminster, London, 1890

Big Ben and Westminster 1890 Big Ben's clock tower rises above the Houses of Parliament at Westminster in this 1890 photograph of central London, showing one of the city's most recognizable landmarks along the Thames.

London street scene, London, 1900

London street scene 1900 A busy London street scene, full of people selling their wares, a man is holding a placard advertising Doctor Rock, an itinerant medicine vendor. Engraving. Iconographic Collections Keywords: Richard Rock

Tower Bridge, London, 1900

Tower Bridge 1900 Tower Bridge spans the River Thames in this 1900 photograph, just six years after the bascule bridge opened to traffic in 1894 as one of London's newest and most distinctive landmarks.

London during the war, London, 1940

London during the war 1940 Prince's Skating Rink, Knightsbridge, London, during the War - British Red Cross Society Store image: The interior of the Prince's skating rink in Knightsbridge, which has been converted into a large storage space for…

Mapillary (810381003732132, zsVerWdjnCXB8EwOP0vAMi) (marikocco), London, 2023

Mapillary (810381003732132, zsVerWdjnCXB8EwOP0vAMi) (marikocco) 2023 A street-level view in London, United Kingdom, photographed in June 2023, part of a crowdsourced record of the city's everyday streets contributed by mapping volunteers.

1890s · 1 photo

Big Ben and Westminster, London, 1890

Big Ben and Westminster 1890

1900s · 2 photos

London street scene, London, 1900

London street scene 1900

Tower Bridge, London, 1900

Tower Bridge 1900

1940s · 1 photo

London during the war, London, 1940

London during the war 1940

2000s · 1 photo

特拉法加广场纳尔逊纪念柱 Nelson's Column, Trafalgar Square, London, 2003

特拉法加广场纳尔逊纪念柱 Nelson's Column, Trafalgar Square 2003

2020s · 1 photo

Mapillary (810381003732132, zsVerWdjnCXB8EwOP0vAMi) (marikocco), London, 2023

Mapillary (810381003732132, zsVerWdjnCXB8EwOP0vAMi) (marikocco) 2023