In 1940, a German bomb landed on the road above the Balham subway station in London. The roof collapsed and a bus ran into the resulting crater, killing at least 64 people.
But today, the station is completely repaired — you'd never know about the bombing.
A new alternate reality app, called "On This Spot," allows you to walk around cities and see historic photos of your location. The app launched in its first city, Vancouver, in early August, and creator Andrew Farris says his team plans to expand to London soon.
Farris, a photographer from Vancouver, has been documenting London's evolution by snapping current photos in the exact spots depicted in historical images. He then meshes the images with his photos to create mesmerizing GIFs, which are displayed on his website — he's created them for locations in over 25 cities around the world.
Keep scrolling to see his incredible GIFs of the English capital.
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This 1888 photo of Regent's Circus, later renamed Oxford Circus, shows the busy intersection. In the foreground, a street musician wheels an organ. Most of the buildings have been torn down or redeveloped in the last 130 years.
The Palace Theater, built in the late 1880s, hosts live performances and film screenings. It looks almost the same today as it did in 1890.
The Fore Street slums, like many such areas throughout London, were cleared out early in the 20th century. The historical photo was taken in 1899.
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