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Time-Traveling Photographs Reveal History in the Present

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These incredible composite photographs allow us to see present-day places and structures as they were decades in the past. Some reveal historical tragedy — others simply the passage of time.

The picture above is the damaged Chain Bridge of Budapest, Hungary in 1945, and today. The composite image was made by Zoltan Kerenyi.

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A woman opens the door to her Mercedes on Sacramento Street while horses killed by falling rubble lie in the street, San Francisco, 1906 & 2010

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These photos taken after the earthquake could made awesome mashups with the 21th century photos taken by Shawn Clover two years ago.

(via Shawn Clover)

Pedestrians cross Jones St towards a pile of rubble on Market Street. The Hibernia Bank building is burned out, but still standing strong, San Francisco, 1906 and 2010

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(via Shawn Clover)

Shoppers cross Drumm St on Market St while men busily work at the monumental task of rebuilding a destroyed city, San Francisco, 1906 & 2010

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(via Shawn Clover)

Residents take to the grass at Lafayette Park to get a view of the massive fires engulfing the city while a Muni bus stops below, San Francisco, 1906 & 2010

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(via Shawn Clover)

Men pose in a tent city to house displaced residents while an armored car turns left. Ferry Building repairs have begun, San Francisco, 1906 & 2010

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(via Shawn Clover)

The Painted Ladies have escaped fire raging down the street. Mothers rest on the low wall in Alamo Square while their children play on the grass, San Francisco, 1906 & 2010

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(via Shawn Clover)

Cable car #455 rests halfway in the partially-detroyed cable car barn, San Francisco, 1906 & 2010

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(via Shawn Clover)

A bicyclist rides towards the fallen Valencia St. Hotel and a huge sinkhole that has opened up in the street, San Francisco, 1906 & 2010

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(via Shawn Clover)

People walk up California St amid charred scraps of lumber, San Francisco, 1906 & 2010

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(via Shawn Clover)

The Goodspeed Opera House in 1913 and 2013 in East Haddam, Connecticut

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(via Richard Arsenault)

Musicians in Huế, Vietnam, 1920s met with 2012

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(via Khánh Hmoong)

The LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin above the Parliament in Budapest, Hungary, 1931 & 2011

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(via Zoltan Kerenyi)

A Cattle baths near The Danube Bend in Hungary, 1937 & 2011

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(via Zoltan Kerenyi)

The Chain Bridge during the 34th Eucharistic World Congress in Budapest, Hungary, 1938 & 2013

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(via Zoltan Kerenyi)

Gregory's Soda Fountain from the 1940s and Peg's Vintage Diner in 2011, Colchester, Connecticut

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(via Richard Arsenault)

After an international football game between England and Hungary (1:7) in the People's Stadium (now Ferenc Puskas Stadium) of Budapest, Hungary on 23th May, 1954 & 2012

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(via Zoltan Kerenyi)

After the Hungarian uprising of 1956, Budapest, 1956 & 2012 or 2013

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(via Zoltan Kerenyi 1 - 234)

Gateway of Diên Khánh Town, Vietnam

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(via Khánh Hmoong)

A crowded street in Nha Trang, Vietnam in 1967/1968 and 2011

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(via Khánh Hmoong)

A citadel gate in the Imperial City of Huế, Vietnam in 1968 and 2012

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(via Khánh Hmoong)

A North Vietnamese tank crashes through the gates of the Presidential Palace in Saigon, Vietnam on April 30, 1975 & 2011

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(via Khánh Hmoong)

A 1988 basketball game superimposed over the present-day condition of the old gymnasium, Cass Tech High School, Detroit, Michigan, 1988 & 2011

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The building was built in 1919 and functioned as a high school until 2005. Since then it's abandoned and totally left to rot.

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(via Detroit Urbex)

The library, from a picture in an early 90's yearbook, Cass Tech High School, Detroit, Michigan

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(via Detroit Urbex)

One of several biology labs, Cass Tech High School, Detroit

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(via Detroit Urbex)

The gymnasium in Cass Tech High School, Detroit

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(via Detroit Urbex)

Bonus: FILMography by Christopher Moloney

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Christopher loves good movies. He loves them so much that he takes a screenshot from his favourites and visit the filming locations to make the perfect composite shot.

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Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)

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Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

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Doctor Who: The Angels Take Manhattan (2012)

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The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

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The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

(via FILMography)