Before and After Photos

[TheAnk]

Since you all are very skilled with the camera and the photo posting, I was wondering if someone could come up with a before and after theme..

I think it would make for an interesting thread, as well as a way to show some of your photos/wares.. A way to show a photo of the past, along with your view of how Prov or a section of it looks now..

And since I haven't a single useful artisitic bone in my body, I'll just sit back and enjoy the show..

[Cotuit]

Someone needs to post some before photos, then people can rush out to click the afters.

[Cotuit]

This was just about to fall off the first page, I think it's a fun idea. Does anyone have any historical pictures as a starting point?

[Recchia]

Here's a kinda crappy quality one during the river relocation, from the cover of an old atlas I found:

[Recchia]

Pre-Hospital Trust Tower Pic:

[Garris]

Ok, everyone. Here's the ultimate place to begin the before journey. Take a trip to this wonderful website:

http://www.quickpix.com/cgi-win/IICGI.exe/sixmonths

That's the PPL's RI historical photo database! It's seachable, and a gold mine... Here's a example...

From Prospect Terrace, the Providence Skyline, pre-1900!! (orient yourself with city hall)

Later, maybe the 1950's? (pre-hospital trust, with Roger doin' the Macarena)

And then, of course, today (from my own collection):

In views, the 1st and 3rd photos are more directly comparable. What is it about black and white photos that make cities look so big?

That PPL site is great! Have fun!

- Garris

[Recchia]

Wow nice find, that pic with the statue is identical to yours, very cool.

[Cotuit]

Ok, everyone.  Here's the ultimate place to begin the before journey.  Take a trip to this wonderful website:

http://www.quickpix.com/cgi-win/IICGI.exe/sixmonths

That's the PPL's RI historical photo database!  It's seachable, and a gold mine...  Here's a example...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Excellent, I knew there was a database like this out there somewhere, I was just having trouble finding it.

Here's the first assignment for anyone who cares to play along:

Westminster and Weybosset Streets in Providence, looking toward Exchange St.

Date: Unknown

Image Number: wc 1303

link

The new Hospital Trust Tower would be on the right, the road leading straight back is Exchange toward Kennedy Plaza, Citizens Bank is on the left, and the Turks Head Building is the left foreground.

You should print out this photo and bring it with you to try to capture the TODAY version of this shot.

[Garris]

Better, too, that if you want to take on the assignment, you post that you are going to do so, so 6 of us don't all waste our time and converge on the space...

That one may be tough to replicate perfectly... It looks like it is taken from the second floor of somewhere...

Nice idea, Cotuit! Should be fun...

- Garris

PS: Unless I'm searching wrong, there's almost nothing from Federal Hill there save for this photo:

[Garris]

By the way, EBay is a great place to look for Providence postcard images. Check these out...

Turk's Head, perhaps around 1900...

And Turk's Head today (from my collection)...

Anyone know where this is looking?

Note that the Ebay links will go away when the items sell... I'll replace the links with the saved images, as I'll keep regularly scanning Ebay and copying the jpegs...

- Garris

[AriPVD]

That's Weybosset St. The Outlet Company aka Johnson and Wales' campus.

[Garris]

That's Weybosset St.

[gregw]

Also you can use the Library of Congress HABS website to get excellent hi-res pictures of Providence. A lot of really good shots of the city before they built Waterplace Park.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/habs_haer/

Just enter "providence" and you get about 300 hits.

[Garris]

Here's the first assignment for anyone who cares to play along:

Westminster and Weybosset Streets in Providence, looking toward Exchange St.

Date: Unknown

Image Number: wc 1303

The new Hospital Trust Tower would be on the right, the road leading straight back is Exchange toward Kennedy Plaza, Citizens Bank is on the left, and the Turks Head Building is the left foreground.

version of this shot.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ok, here it is...

That's far from my best ever photo (it's certainly not going on my website), but it illustrates the before and after. I had to overexpose the shot somewhat to get the street detail, since the lighting there is tough in all but the early AM (when I'm never there) due to all those damn tall buildings we need to get rid of! (sarcasm intended).

Next assignment for whoever wants it:

Empire Street! Two images. The first, looking North up Empire (from near, I think, the Weybosset/Empire intersection... The current Trinity Rep can be seen in the distance off Washington and the intersection of Empire and Westminster can be seen in the foreground to the right)

After you've taken that photo, go North up Empire and replicate this one of the Trinity Rep, then the Majestic Theater (check out the headliners... Don Ameche and Carmen Miranda!!! )

- Garris

[TheAnk]

this string is very enjoyable.. Thanks

[CtownMikey]

I really love those types of trees that are in front of that brick building in the AFTER picture.. I would love to see the city streets lined with them in various places

[Liamlunchtray]

http://cinerama.topcities.com/hope.htm

A couple good shots of the Cinerama that stood where CVS & the chocolate shop is in Hope Village

Liam

[Liamlunchtray]

http://cinerama.topcities.com/hope.htm

A couple good shots of the Cinerama that stood where CVS & the chocolate shop is in Hope Village

Liam

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man - cinematreasures.com is a treasure trove of great old photos!!!

Here is Westminster Mall in 1967

[ArtInRuins]

I've been trying to reproduce this photo, but I think I have to get to the top of one of the cooling towers on the Manchester Street generating station to get the angle right. Or a hot air baloon. Any ideas?

http://www.artinruins.com/arch/historical/1903/

[ArtInRuins]

Here's an interesting rendering in 1979 of what they wanted to do with Waterplace park. Orient yourself with the Biltmore on the right and the Industrial Trust tower in the middle.

[mandrws1]

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This is a great shot of downtown Providence. Looks great! Is the city as vibrant as it looks in this photo? I'm a potential tourist, so please be honest.

[ArtInRuins]

man, we're gonna need a heliocopter.

shot of the India Point bridge (lower left), the Davol Company and the South Street Power Plant. i think the shot was taken not long after I-195 was put in... 50s?

[ArtInRuins]

Sorry, Im going a little crazy here... this one could be reproduced. From Steeple Street, looking towards City Hall... circa 1880s...

"Market Square, Providence. Three Ones fire station in right foreground. Built at the east end of Exchange Place in 1873."

Elliot Flint Collection

Date: Unknown

Union Station (the old one that burned in 1896) is on the right, and behind that is the Cove water basin. The Three Ones fire station is in the foreground. I can barely make out what used to be there before the current Post Office.

[Recchia]

This is a great shot of downtown Providence.  Looks great!  Is the city as vibrant as it looks in this photo?  I'm a potential tourist, so please be honest.

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It sure is, in fact, there's not even many people on the street as they're usually is. Go on a waterfire night (almost every Saturday), and you can barely move.

[Frankie811]

man - cinematreasures.com is a treasure trove of great old photos!!!

Here is Westminster Mall in 1967

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Boy does this foto bring back some memories. Like back in the late 70's when a cop was walking down the mall with a bottle of liquor and give my friend and me a swig. I believe it was Christmas Eve. And of course I remember all the department stores which dotted the mall like Grant's ( hence Grant's Block ), Shepard's ( now URI ), Glading's, Peerless and Woolworth's. On Weybosset was the Outlet Co which previously owned Ch 10 which actually had their studios in the store. Former Gov Bruce Sundlun, now a URI teacher, headed the Outlet Co. The Outlet Co is where J&W dorms are now. I remember that the Outlet Co actually had a liquor store inside. And I remember going there as a child to see santa and being scared to death Providence was the place to shop! Yup, that all ended when they opened up the Warwick & Midland ( now RI ) malls.