Inspiration

Vintage Photos of the World’s Most Famous Landmarks, From the Eiffel Tower to Angkor Wat

See what these iconic spots looked like 100 years ago.

March 20, 2022

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During those idle moments between trips, reminiscing about past adventures and childhood vacations can help scratch that travel itch. We decided to go back even further in the timeline of travel photos, back to when sheep grazed in Central Park and the Hollywood Sign had a few extra letters. These vintage photos of the world’s most famous landmarks show how, even though times have changed (then: stagecoaches; now: selfie sticks), the magnificence of these buildings, bridges, and monuments has not faded over the years. We hope you enjoy your trip down distant-memory lane.

This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

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Eiffel Tower, 1889
French government officials celebrate the completion of the Eiffel Tower's main structural work on March 31, 1889.
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Big Ben, 1890
London's Westminster Bridge, with the Palace of Westminster and the clocktower of Big Ben in the background.

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Notre-Dame Cathedral, 1899
An artist paints the Notre-Dame Cathedral from the Pont de l'Archevêché (Archbishop's Bridge) in Paris.
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The Great Pyramid of Giza, 1920
Two tourists and a guide look over the Sahara Desert from the top of the Great Pyramid of Giza in the 1920s.

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The White House, 1922
Children participate in the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, a tradition started by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878.
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Hollywood(land) Sign, 1924
A sign advertises the opening of the Hollywoodland housing development in the hills on Mulholland Drive, overlooking Los Angeles in the 1920s. (The sign changed to “Hollywood” in 1949.)

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Mount Rushmore, 1930
Stone carvers on scaffolding and hoists carve the face of Thomas Jefferson into Mount Rushmore. The enormous sculpture was completed 11 years later.
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Empire State Building, 1931
A group of people (including Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was governor of New York at the time) look out from the top of the Empire State Building the morning of its official opening.

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La Sagrada Familia, 1934
A group of Catalan children pose in front of Barcelona’s La Sagrada Familia, designed by Antoni Gaudí.
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Central Park, 1935
Lambs and sheep graze in Central Park. The burgeoning Manhattan skyline is visible through the fog in the background.

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Arc de Triomphe, 1936
A group of young women from Monte Carlo pose on a roof near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
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Golden Gate Bridge, 1936
Fishermen on San Francisco's Baker Beach enjoy views of the Golden Gate Bridge under construction.

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Paddington Station, 1937
A train passenger visits a refreshment trolley at London's Paddington Station. These trolleys were staffed by Great Western Railway workers and sold drinks, sandwiches, and snacks.
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The Little Mermaid, 1937
Two men photograph The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, Denmark. (It was first unveiled in 1913.)

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The Colosseum, 1940
A view of a vendor setting up shop near the ruins of the Colosseum in Rome.
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Grand Central Terminal, 1945
Overview of the main concourse of Grand Central Station, showing commuters and a massive advertisement to buy war bonds.

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Grand Canyon, 1946
Two women observe Havasu Falls in Grand Canyon National Park.
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Angkor Wat, 1949
Buddhist monks standing in front of the Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

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Times Square, 1949
View of Times Square with little traffic during a New York City taxi strike in 1949.
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Taj Mahal, 1950
A family walks by the landscaped watercourse leading up to the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

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Mount Everest, 1952
Hikers set up camp during the 1952 Swiss Mount Everest expedition, in which two men set a new climbing record of 8,595 meters (about 28,199 feet) on the southeastern ridge.
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Chicago's State Street, 1953
Night scene of State Street in Chicago, with movie marquee advertising “The Caddy” starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

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Statue of Liberty, 1954
Visitors peek out from under the Statue of Liberty's spiked crown on the landmark's 70th birthday.
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Niagara Falls, 1955
A couple has their photograph taken with Niagara Falls in the background.

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Disneyland, 1955
Children running through the gate of Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
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Trevi Fountain, 1956
American actress Edie Adams poses in front of Rome’s Trevi Fountain with her two stepdaughters, Kippie and Bette Kovacs (daughters of comedian Ernie Kovacs).

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Grand Canal, 1959
People riding in gondolas on Venice's Grand Canal near the Ponte dell'Accademia.
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Leaning Tower of Pisa, 1962
A woman stands in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, striking the now-classic “holding up the tower” pose.

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Washington Monument, 1963
Some 250,000 demonstrators gather in front of the Washington Monument in D.C., awaiting the start of the March on Washington.
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Berlin Wall, 1960s
A young West Berlin couple climbs to the top of the wall to talk to relatives in an East Berlin apartment house (see upper window open). The photo was taken in the 1960s shortly after the Berlin Wall was erected, though the exact date is unknown.

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Stonehenge, 1966
Vacationing families walk around the rocks at Stonehenge on September 21, 1966.
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Ponte Vecchio, 1969
Pedestrians cross the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest stone arch bridge in Europe, over the Arno River in Florence.

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Las Vegas Strip, 1975
A view of the intersection of the Las Vegas Strip and Riviera Boulevard, with the Morocco Motel and Sands Hotel in the background.
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St. Peter's Square, 1976
A crowd gathers in the Vatican for the annual Easter message of Pope Paul VI from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.

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Sydney Opera House, 1983
Princess Diana mingles with the crowds outside the Sydney Opera House during the Royal Family's 1983 tour of Australia and New Zealand.
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Great Mosque of Mecca, 1991
A group of men use the telephone booths outside of Masjid al-Haram (the Great Mosque of Mecca) in Saudi Arabia.

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Great Wall of China, 1998
President Bill Clinton, along with wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea, visits the Great Wall of China.
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London Eye, 1999
Skateboarders practice near the Millennium Wheel (also known as the London Eye) the weekend after it was lifted into its full vertical position.

TopicsLandmarks & Monuments

Eiffel Tower, 1889

Big Ben, 1890

Notre-Dame Cathedral, 1899

The Great Pyramid of Giza, 1920

The White House, 1922

Hollywood(land) Sign, 1924

Mount Rushmore, 1930

Empire State Building, 1931

La Sagrada Familia, 1934

Central Park, 1935

Arc de Triomphe, 1936

Golden Gate Bridge, 1936

Paddington Station, 1937

The Little Mermaid, 1937

The Colosseum, 1940

Grand Central Terminal, 1945

Grand Canyon, 1946

Angkor Wat, 1949

Times Square, 1949

Taj Mahal, 1950

Mount Everest, 1952

Chicago's State Street, 1953

Statue of Liberty, 1954

Niagara Falls, 1955

Disneyland, 1955

Trevi Fountain, 1956

Grand Canal, 1959

Leaning Tower of Pisa, 1962

Washington Monument, 1963

Berlin Wall, 1960s

Stonehenge, 1966

Ponte Vecchio, 1969

Las Vegas Strip, 1975

St. Peter's Square, 1976

Sydney Opera House, 1983

Great Mosque of Mecca, 1991

Great Wall of China, 1998

London Eye, 1999

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