My pet are Venice and Chichén Itzá .

To impart some timeless wisdom: old photos are cool. Oldplacesare cool. So here are some side-by-sides of old and new photos of old-timey places, just because it’s fun to compare. Please enjoy:

1.The Empire State Building in 1931, the year of its completion…

…versus today:

2.Flooding in St. Mark’s Square, Venice in about 1910…

…versus the flooding in 2019:

3.The Eiffel Tower during the liberation of Paris in 1944…

…and on Bastille Day in 2024:

4.Notquitethe 20th Century, but: Chichén Itzá in 1892 before excavation…

…versus Chichén Itzá today:

5.Downtown Shanghai in 1930…

…versus downtown Shanghai today:

6.The Casino de Monte-Carlo in Monaco in 1913…

…versus the Casino in 2013:

7.Abu Simbel in 1933…

…versus Abu Simbel today:

8.Tokyo in the 1920s…

…and Tokyo today:

9.The Sunset Strip in 1937…

…and in 2021:

10.Mount St. Helens in 1933 and in 1980 during its eruption, and…

…Mount St. Helens today!

11.The Flatiron Building on Fifth Avenue and Broadway in 1920 and in 1965…

…and the Flatiron Building today:

12.People in front of the Hungarian Parliament Building during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956:

…and the Hungarian Parliament Building today:

13.Hiroshima in 1945, after the Atomic Bombing…

…versus Hiroshima today:

14.The Brandenburg Gate hung with Nazi flags in 1936 and behind the Berlin Wall in 1982, and…

…the Brandenburg Gate in 2024:

15.Princess Dianaposing at the Taj Mahal in 1992…

…versus tourists visiting in the rain in 2023:

16.TheTitanicsetting sail from Southampton in 1912…

…versus the bow of the ship at the wreck site:

17.The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona in 1936…

…versus the Sagrada Familia today:

18.A church in Boscotrecase, Naples buried in lava flow after Mt. Vesuvius erupted…

…versus the same church today:

19.Anchorage, Alaska after the 1964 earthquake…

…versus Anchorage today:

20.The Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy after the November 1966 flood…

…versus the Ponte Vecchio today:

21.The fire and aftermath of the Tillamook Burn forest fire in Oregon in 1933…

…versus the Tillamook State Forest today:

22.The Manhattan skyline in 1950…

…versus the Manhattan skyline today:

23.Dresden after its bombing in 1945, shot by Richard Peter…

…and Dresden today:

24.And finally, the Ziggurat of Ur in Iraq in 1929, before it was fully excavated…

…versus the Ziggurat in 2020:

The image shows the Empire State Building towering above the surrounding New York City skyline

View of New York City skyline featuring the Empire State Building in the center, surrounded by various other skyscrapers

Flooded St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco) in Venice, with buildings reflected in the water. The domes of St. Mark's Basilica and the Campanile tower are visible

St. Mark's Basilica in Venice is shown partially submerged due to flooding, with water covering parts of the square in front of the cathedral

Three soldiers in a military jeep look at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France from the base. The scene appears historical

The Eiffel Tower at night with fireworks illuminating the sky in the background

An ancient pyramid stands atop a steep hill surrounded by dense vegetation. The structure appears weathered and historic

El Castillo, the pyramid at Chichen Itza, stands under a partly cloudy sky at sunset. The staircase and structure are prominently visible

Historical photo of a busy street in Shanghai with vintage cars, trams, bicycles, and pedestrians. The street is lined with banners displaying Chinese text

A busy commercial street in an urban area at night with many illuminated signs and people walking on the sidewalk

A historical black-and-white photograph of the Casino de Monte-Carlo, featuring people in front of the grand building with intricate architectural details and clock towers

Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco, with its ornate architecture lit up at night, featuring a large reflective sculpture in front

A large crowd visits the towering statues at Abu Simbel, Egypt. The ancient rock-cut temples feature four seated statues of Pharaoh Ramesses II

Historic cityscape view with a busy bridge, trams, cyclists, and pedestrians; surrounded by many traditional buildings and a few larger structures

Tokyo skyline with prominent Tokyo Skytree tower, a river winding through the city, and buildings stretching towards mountains in the distance

Historic photo of Café Trocadero, a popular nightclub in Los Angeles, with vintage cars parked on the street in front

Crowd gathers outside The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles for Sirius XM & Pandora Small Stage Series featuring J. Cole

Pathway lined with wildflowers leads toward a mountainous landscape, with Mount St. Helens in the background

People gathered around and on top of a tank in front of a large building during a historical event, waving a flag and cheering

Hungarian Parliament Building illuminated at night, reflecting on the Danube River in Budapest

A man in military uniform walks through the ruins and rubble of buildings after a bombing, with a partially destroyed structure in the background

A daytime view of Hiroshima Peace Memorial, with city buildings in the background and a river with a boat in the foreground

People walking and cycling near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin as sunlight streams through its columns

A person sits on a bench facing the Taj Mahal, a large white marble mausoleum with four minarets, lush gardens, and a reflecting pool in the foreground

People holding umbrellas in front of the Taj Mahal on a rainy day

Vintage photograph of the RMS Titanic docked at a shipyard with smoke billowing from its funnels, and workers seen on the dock and nearby buildings

Sagrada Família basilica in Barcelona, featuring its distinct spires and ornate facade, surrounded by trees and gardens

Sagrada Família, a large unfinished Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Spain, designed by Antoni Gaudí, with intricate spires and a park in the foreground

Ruins of a partially collapsed historic building with debris scattered in the foreground. No people are present

Facade of a large church with an ornate entrance, next to a bell tower featuring a clock and arched openings

Street scene of an earthquake in Anchorage, Alaska, 1964, showing damaged roads, toppled cars, and disrupted buildings with various business signs visible

Busy city street with traffic and a mountainous backdrop. Various vehicles, traffic lights, and buildings are visible

Historic photo of Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence, Italy during a flood, with debris and water damage visible along the riverbank

The image shows the historic Ponte Vecchio bridge spanning the Arno River in Florence, Italy, with its distinctive buildings and arches

A vintage black-and-white photograph of the New York City skyline featuring numerous high-rise buildings and a few boats on the waterfront

Skyline of lower Manhattan, New York City, featuring the One World Trade Center and surrounding buildings, with water in the foreground

Statue amid ruins and rubble, with a damaged historical building in the background, in the aftermath of a wartime event

Historic European plaza at sunrise, featuring an ornate cathedral with a tall clock tower and surrounding classical architecture. Few people are present

A black and white photograph of the ancient Ziggurat of Ur, a massive tiered structure, located in modern-day Iraq, showcasing its steps and terraces

The image shows the Ziggurat of Ur, an ancient stepped pyramid structure in Iraq, with several people walking and standing on its various levels