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Video Reveals 140 Years Of Change At Specific NYC Locations
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 5, 2014
Modified May 5, 2014
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By
Jen Carlson
Published May 5, 2014
Modified May 5, 2014
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Recently Jordan Liles took the oldest surviving photographs taken by George Brainerd and gave them the Then & Now treatment, reshooting the locations Brainerd shot around 140 years ago... in the present day. You can see the outcome here, just scroll over the images to get taken back in time... but he's also compiled this video showing smoother transitions. Liles did a fantastic job lining up the shots he took, as if standing in the exact same place Brainerd was when he captured his images.
Liles says Brainerd (a Brooklyn resident, living on Lafayette Street) "was a very accomplished professional in early photography and other fields, and if you search for his name on Google you'll notice that his contributions have been forgotten." However, he was regarded a pioneer of amateur photography, and "the Brooklyn Daily Eagle referred to him as the 'father of instantaneous photography.'" (You can read more about him here.)
Tagged
flashback
george brainerd
jordan liles
then and now
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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