OT - Best sources for historical aerial photographs?

[Mike Hendren]

Any recommendations?


Thanks,
Mike

[Jeff_Brauer]

I love historic aerials.com. You can browse old photos for free, but need to buy individually or sign up for one of their various subscription plans to just download them (and get rid of the annoying watermarks.)


Some areas have better aerial coverage than most, but most urban areas seem to have photos every few years from 1930 on.  There is also the slider bar that allows now and then comparison side by side.


I waste almost as much time there as I do here......

[Thomas Dai]

For the UK try the free Britain From Above website - https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/ - lots of aerials going back to the 1920's.
I believe there are Luftwaffe archives that have a significant collection from pre-WW2. I think you have to pay to access them though.
atb

[Pete_Pittock]

The University of Oregon library has an archive, but it was not digitalized when I bought copies of the aerials for Portland area courses.

[Wayne_Kozun]

I believe there are Luftwaffe archives that have a significant collection from pre-WW2. I think you have to pay to access them though.
atb

Interesting, and that makes sense.  Does the RAF also have a good collection of German aerial photos?

[Jeff Schley]

I believe there are Luftwaffe archives that have a significant collection from pre-WW2. I think you have to pay to access them though.
atb

I'm a WWII history buff and have seen a few sites that had such photos, I don't recall seeing any golf courses in any of the photos. There are extensive Poland, Russia, Norway photos as well.

[Peter Flory]

It will be different depending on the location. 


In Illinois for instance, I'd start here, just as an example:
http://clearinghouse.isgs.illinois.edu/data/imagery/1937-1947-illinois-historical-aerial-photography


It seems like every state has something similar, some better, some worse. 

[John Emerson]

National Archives may possibly have the best collection of aerials, and anything else for that matter, in the world...bad part is that you gotta physically go there to access it.  So if you don’t live close to DC you’re out of luck.  The things I’ve come across recently I will bet that the very few people have seen them before and if they did they’re not alive anymore

[Bret Lawrence]

California aerials:
http://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/


Westchester County, NY:
https://giswww.westchestergov.com/HistoricalAerial/


Nassau County, NY:
https://lrv.nassaucountyny.gov/map/


Suffolk County, NY:
https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Economic-Development-and-Planning/Planning-and-Environment/Cartography-and-GIS

New Jersey 1930 aerials:
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/OnePane/basicviewer/index.html?appid=0d55ac76c7264242b7b97ac6d2847b6e



Connecticut State Library has aerials from 1934 and Rhode Island has aerials from 1938-1939.


University of Florida has historic aerials for most of Florida and The University of Hawaii has aerials for the islands of Hawaii.


Historic aerials is great for comparing courses year to year, but they charge you for higher quality aerials that you can generally find yourself.


Some of these programs are very easy to use, some are more complicated.  They all have a small learning curve to them.


If you are looking for a specific state or county just type (in a search engine) the name of the county or state followed by historic aerial photographs and you should find what you are looking for. Many of the aerials are digitized by a State Library or University. However, some may be held by counties or municipalities. Not all states are digitized, but many are becoming available.


Bret

[MCirba]

Within Pennsylvania, this site has good aerials starting in the late 1930s, 50s, and then 70s. 


http://www.pennpilot.psu.edu/

[Mike Hendren]

Thanks gents. Ironically, aerials are hard  to come by in flyover country.


Bogey

[Kalen Braley]

Bret,


Fantastic links, especially the California one.  Enjoying playing with it!

[Dean DiBerardino]

Earth Explorer at USGS.....

https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/

[Steve Lang]

Bogey,


The county engineer's office often has a drawer full of old aerials...


Ms Sheila says hi!

[Anders Rytter]

I believe there are Luftwaffe archives that have a significant collection from pre-WW2. I think you have to pay to access them though.
atb

I'm a WWII history buff and have seen a few sites that had such photos, I don't recall seeing any golf courses in any of the photos. There are extensive Poland, Russia, Norway photos as well.

They did Denmark in 1944


http://lw1944.flyfotoarkivet.dk/

[Craig Disher]

I believe there are Luftwaffe archives that have a significant collection from pre-WW2. I think you have to pay to access them though.
atb

Interesting, and that makes sense.  Does the RAF also have a good collection of German aerial photos?

I don't know if the RAF retained any but we took a lot of the captured images after the war. They are stored at NARA and can be retrieved there. Mostly they are from SE England but unforunately, the quality isn't great. The material from the britainfromabove site is much better.

[Bret Lawrence]

Kalen,


I'm glad you enjoyed the links.  I think the California aerial collection from UCSB is one of the easiest programs to work with.  I wish they were all built like that.


Here is a link to Bermuda aerials from 1940 and 1973 (in color):


http://decouto.blogspot.com/2010/12/bermuda-aerial-photos-1940-1973.html




Google Earth used to have aerials from 1945 for some of the European countries.  If you use the historical slide bar, you can change the date of the aerial photographs.  Many of the US photos only date back to the 1990's, but I was surprised to find some of the European countries date back further. I haven't checked this in a few years, so I am unaware if they are still available, but I do recall seeing a few aerials in Europe as early as 1945.


Bret