Back Bay

In this photo, we can see the buildings on Newbury Street have become Starbucks and a clothing store over the time. Also, the pavement have become one long concrete slab.

In this photo, we can clearly see lots of changes regarding not only the streets but also the buildings along Stuart and Clarendon Street.

Kaitlyn Darveau: Quincy Market was once a meat market. It is now a public place of gathering and walkway with commercial businesses.

Kaitlyn Darveau: Built in 1713 the Old State House functioned as a courthouse, Massachusetts Assembly space and a governor’s residence. Today the Old State House functions as a museum run by the Bostonian Society in order to preserve and exhibit Boston’s history.

Steven D'Onfro: Mass Pike seen from Berkeley Street, looking West. In the photo taken on July 4, 1965 the Prudential building can be seen, along with some smaller buildings. Many buildings have since been constructed in this area, including the Clarendon Street Garage and the Westin Hotel which can both be seen in the modern photo taken on February 19, 2018.

Steven D'Onfro: This juxtapose shows the Union Church on the corner of Rutland Square and Columbus Ave. Behind the church is only the Prudential Center in the picture taken on March 22, 1966, but the modern picture taken on February 19, 2018 shows both the Prudential Center and the 111 Huntington Ave building in the background.

Area right around 354 Newbury Street. The tunnels have since been completely blocked off but the outline of where they were is still clearly visible. The adjacent buildings have also not changed much in the intervening years. -Daniel Fein

Will Baker

Here is the former boston Poilice Headquarters during the blizzard of 78. In 2002 it was bought by the Backbay group and turned into a hotel, and later bought by the Lowes corporation.

This photo shows the durastic changes that took place along huntington Ave below where the Prudential Center now stands. The most notable change is the sheer amount of development that occured in the area; towers now surround the area, roads were widened to accomodate for the increased traffic flow, and the only buildings remaining are the Copley Square Hotel. Pedestrial catwalks were even added above Huntington because foot-traffic in the area became so great.

Another vast difference made apparent is that what once was a flat road now goes uphill, over the tunnel for the Masspike and Green-line trains.

Noah Martins: The two sliders show a large difference between the historical photo in the 1890s compared to the photo taken in 2018. Newbury street became completely commercialized creating many shopping areas along the street side. Another difference would be the presence of the John Hancock building in the background. The main similarities being that the church top is still visible and in tact.

Matthew DiGianvittorio: From 1911 when the area of commonwealth and beacon street were relatively new roads for high traffic to over one hundred years later that samearea is nearly unrecognizable when compared beside side by side beside the orientation of the roadways, showing the importance of the two main vessels of Boston's traffic circulation having everything around change while the intersections axis' remain the same.

Dylan Goldrick: This picture contrasts the changes on Boylston Street, taken in 1948 by the Boston Traffic & Parking Department. The street size remains the same, however the left portion of the street saw massive structural development. The addition of trees on the sidewalks was also a nice touch. Some buildings on the right side of the street are actually still in use for businesses. Boston, particularly the Back Bay, saw massive structural development between this 70 year period.

Dylan Goldrick: This photo contrasts the changes over time on Huntington Avenue looking South from around the base of where the Prudential Center now stands. The only similarities these two photos hold over time is the street itself. The residential buildings were removed to make way for business developments with less buildings, but the buildings that remain now are large and tall to accommodate the commerce in the area.

Dylan Goldrick: This picture contrasts the changes on Huntington Avenue from a photograph taken in 1948, to 2018. Lots of development occurred in that time frame such as the expanding of the road itself to allow more throughput of traffic, as well as the addition of a sky bridge slightly down the road. Skyscrapers were also constructed after the previous buildings were torn down bringing more commerce to the area.

The only remaining buildings are the Copley Square Hotel, and in the distance, the tower of 501 Boylston Street can be seen still which is now a retail space for businesses.

Patrick Tierney: This photograph shows the stark contrast between Back Bay in 1912 and now. The old Back Bay was a rail yard for the Boston and Albany Railroad. The Mass Pike (I-90) and MBTA commuter rail follow the old rail road into the city. The interstate can be seen in the bottom part of the picture in the tunnel. The rest of Back Bay was elevated and the Hynes Convention Center is now in the foreground with the Prudential Center behind it. On the left the firehouse still in use by the Boston Fire Department. The city grew up around this area and it has seen a complete transformation in 100 years.

Alex Biederwolf: There is almost no change with the buildings, however there are small differences between the traffic lights and street signs

Alex Biederwolf: There have been many changes in this area. Almost every building is new except for the church, and the power lines have been replaced by trees and lamp posts.

Trevor McSorley:These photos are over a hundred years apart, there are drastic changes such as the dirt roads to paved roads as well as a change of scenery with the buildings.

Trevor McSorley: These two pictures are about 150 years apart. The differences are drastic as back in the late 1800s there were no tall buildings or personal vehicles. 

Sean Lazzaro - This is the Trinity Church at Copley Square in 1964 compared to present day. Not much has changed with the Church itself but the area all around it has been developed with most notably, the Hancock Building now visible to the far right of the recreated image.

Noah Smith: On the left is the Boston Police Headquarters after a blizzard in 1978. There is one car parked in front of the building, and 3 on the side. Crowds of people line the streets. In present day Boston, cars flood the streets. I stood on the corner for more than 5 minutes, unable to snap a picture without cars in the shot.