3 Awesome Historical Google Maps Mashups

Rediscovering the Past: Historical Maps and Location Views

Do you find yourself curious about the historical appearance of locations you cherish? Perhaps you'd like to revisit memories and see how your hometown looked during your youth.

If so, the three projects detailed below may be of significant interest. They offer unique ways to explore the past.

Common Features of These Projects

These initiatives share several key characteristics. Each leverages Google Maps, enabling users to pinpoint specific locations with ease.

Furthermore, Google Earth integration provides a three-dimensional perspective of each site. This allows for a more immersive experience.

• Users are also empowered to contribute by uploading historical photographs.
• This crowdsourced approach builds a collective archive of geographical changes.

The ability to upload old photographs of any geographical location is central to their function. This feature allows for the preservation and sharing of visual history.

These tools offer a fascinating glimpse into the past, combining modern technology with historical imagery. They provide a unique way to connect with places and times gone by.

HistoryPin: A Digital Time Capsule

Historypin, formerly a globally accessible project initiated by the We Are What We Do movement in collaboration with Google, functioned as a unique platform for exploring and contributing to online historical records. The site aimed to connect individuals with the past through shared memories and geographical context.

The core concept revolved around building a community where users could register and contribute their historical photographs. These images were then geographically located using Google Maps and Google Street View, effectively "pinning" them to specific places.

Uploading a photograph required users to provide both the date and location of the image, ensuring accurate historical placement. This information was essential for the site’s functionality.

Sharing Stories and Personal Connections

Beyond simply displaying images, Historypin encouraged users to share the narratives behind their photographs. Discovering these stories fostered a deeper understanding of personal and collective histories.

The "Stories" feature distinguished Historypin as the most personal of similar platforms, allowing for rich contextualization of historical visuals.

Browsing the available photos and stories did not necessitate account creation, making the platform accessible to a wide audience.

Powerful Search Capabilities

Historypin offered a sophisticated search engine, enabling users to locate content based on several criteria. This streamlined the process of discovering relevant historical information.

Specifically, searches could be conducted by:

• Geographical Location;
• Relevant Keywords;
• Specific Year, utilizing an intuitive slider.

This combination of features made Historypin a valuable resource for anyone interested in exploring the past through a visually engaging and geographically informed interface.

LookBackMaps

LookBackMaps, accessible at [Broken URL Removed] (as reviewed by MakeUseOf), presents a unique and engaging method for interacting with historical photographs online. It allows users to visually organize, explore, and connect with the past.

The platform’s extensive collection originated from the mapping of numerous historical photos sourced from public libraries and private collections across the internet. The developers actively encourage contributions from the public to expand their archive.

A browser bookmarklet [Broken URL Removed] facilitates the addition of historical images to LookBackMaps. However, it’s important to note that only photos already available online can be incorporated into the system.

To safeguard copyright, any photograph featured on LookBackMaps requires a clearly identified source. Direct uploads from a user’s computer are not supported; images must first be hosted on a service like Flickr or Photobucket before being added to the LookBackMaps gallery.

The site’s search functionality mirrors that of Google Maps, enabling users to find historical locations by entering a keyword. Furthermore, year-based checkboxes allow for precise filtering of results based on specific time periods.

Once a location is selected on the map, the LookBackMaps icon can be clicked to reveal historical photographs of that area. Users can then access "details" to learn more and compare the historical image with a current Google Street View perspective of the same location.