War Photos Mapped

One very popular use of Street View is to use Google's panoramic imagery in conjunction with historical photographs. By superimposing vintage photographs on top of Google Maps Street View it is possible to show how views have changed over time. It is particularly poignant when Street View is used with photographs taken during war time.

Invisible Works has a new take on mapping vintage war photos. Ghosts: London Blitz Aerial Maps is a series of German aerial photographs taken during the London Blitz. Invisible Works has superimposed these historical aerial photos of the Luftwaffe attacking London on top of the same view as seen in Google Map's aerial imagery.


UK real-estate website Rightmove has created an interesting interactive which allows you to compare historical photographs taken during World War I with the same view depicted today in Google Maps Street View.

Then + Now is a series of World War I photos superimposed on top of the same location on Street View. A slide control allows you to swipe back and forth to compare the World War I photo with the modern Street View. You can learn more about each of the historical photos depicted by clicking on the information button on each photo.


The Guardian has also created a series of war photographs superimposed on top of Google Maps Street View imagery. In the Second World War in Google Street View The Guardian has taken a number of historical photographs taken during World War II and found the exact same view depicted in Google's panoramic imagery.

The photographs used include pictures of the Nazis marching through Paris, London during the Blitz and Hiroshima suffering from the devastation caused by the nuclear bomb.