Gustaf Adolf Square in Gothenburg/Göteborg, about 1900. Photographer: Unknown
This week, we present a new set on Flickr Commons, with photographs of towns from all over Sweden, taken about 100 years ago or more. The photos show town views and city environments, as well as individual buildings of different kinds – harbours, squares, castles, dwelling houses, school buildings, railway stations, administration buildings…you name it!
Visby harbour in the 1870s. Â Photographer: Unknown
Today, some of the towns we see on the photos are well preserved in their historical parts - like Visby (a UNESCO World Heritage town) on the island of Gotland. Some of the towns have changed a lot since these photos were taken, and some of the buildings we see are replaced by new ones.
How precious aren’t these old images to show us how our environment has changed over time? They might lead us to reflect on different aspects of urban development, both positive and negative.
It would be great to see some modern comparative photographs posted as comments to these old town photos. Welcome to comment, tag and share!
>>Anna Boman is a member of the Flickr Commons team at the Swedish National Heritage Board