I stumbled into this last night, and it’s a great idea: replicate footage of film shot in traffic, 80 (or 70) years later, in the exact same locations and speed.
Not surprisingly, Los Angeles has changed a lot more in 70 years than NY did in 80.
CC Cinema: Eighty Years of New York City, Then and Now – And the Same With LA, Seventy Years Apart
– Posted on January 20, 2018
Fascinating. Some observations:
New York: Not much change in the background but the changes in more bicycle and pedestrian facilities is pronounced. There is more outdoor advertising currently, especially in Times Square. Early on there was a horse drawn buggy going over one of the bridges. And the number of Checker brand taxis is wonderful with the taxis having transitioned to Toyotas and Nissans now, with a Ford or two thrown in the mix.
Los Angeles: Hardly looks like the same place.
One tidbit – in Central Park there was a long shot of what looks like a Packard limousine. In LA, early on, was a Packard taxi.
Since Google maps has been publishing global streetscapes for over a decade now, people in the distant future will be able to review specific details of distant past neighborhoods from around the world. A highly valuable way of documenting, and reviewing, so much history.
The part of Los Angeles being driven through is Bunker hill, which was residential, and was basically entirely wiped away in the early 70s for being “blighted”. It was heavily graded too. Old downtown south of it is slightly less jarring
Same area in the early 70s
I’ve seen the LA footage before, set to some good tunes https://youtu.be/I6R9WSClRfE
Fascinating. Reminds me of R. Crumb’s “A Short History of America” from 1979.
Let’s get that in color though! (below)
I love that comic/poster. Drawn in the late 1970s, Crumb has often been asked to update it since then to answer the “what next?” in the last frame, and at one point he did draw three additional possible endings (“worst case scenario: ecological disaster”, “the fun future: techno fix on the march!” and “the ecotopian solution”). But all three were wrong; the correct last frame of course is every single thing in the previous frames obliterated and now there’s a Walmart there….
Portland, Oregon 1949
Portland, 1976 (not long after I first arrived).
And contemporary Portland today.
Fascinating! The drive thru Central Park looks a lot nicer & leafier today than 80 yrs ago, proof that the “good old days” weren’t always so good.
One common theme is Ford Motor Company vehicles. I like it.
Am I the only one who believes that the buildings, cars and clothing of 70 years ago looks better?
You are NOT the only one! The “dolls” in the old days looked swell, Buildings had class. And the cars were nice too!
Truly a “time capsule”.
Thanks for posting this, Paul.
Very cool. A few years ago I found some driving footage of Lansing in the late ’60s, and I want to try something like this eventually.
I have seen some of that New York footage before. What fascinates me from some of the really old traffic film is how lane markings were non-existent, with cars jockeying back and forth in their direction.
These were really cool comparisons.
Ouch! The standard of driving back then. No lane markings, drivers jockeying to find a way past the slowcoach in front…..
Fascinating…and very well done. Love this!
I’ve seen similar presentations of still photos of London, but not on video.
Fascinating, and thanks for sharing.
Watching the New York one was a surprise: I think Pittsburgh changed more over those years than NYC! (And we are a lot closer to NYC than LA!)