If you enjoyed our publications on the subreddit What Is This Thing? and the detective work that goes on over there, you'll love this one too.
Called Where Was This Taken?, it's “same-same, but different.”
People come to the online community exclusively to share a picture and ask its members to pinpoint the location where it was snapped. And many do!
From rural coastlines and mountain valleys to busy highways and city squares — they never shy away from a challenge. Must be those GeoGuessr pros!
#1 My Father Passed Away More Than 10 Years Ago, But I Recently Found This Photo Of Him. I Know It’s Not A Lot To Go On, But Doesn’t Anyone Recognize The Location?
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33points
#2 Stock Photo From A Textbook Cover. Probably Too General A Landscape, But Any Ideas?
romulusnr: OP, thank you for the hunt. I believe I have found it.
I tracked the image back to a German photography company PPAM, and then to a photographer Manuel Gutjahr, and he has other photos on his Flickr which appear to be in the same location. It is Amrum Island, Germany. Compare to Google Maps photos such as this one.
Also pics on his IG.
I tracked the image back to a German photography company PPAM, and then to a photographer Manuel Gutjahr, and he has other photos on his Flickr which appear to be in the same location. It is Amrum Island, Germany. Compare to Google Maps photos such as this one.
Also pics on his IG.
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26points
#3 Grandad On Holiday Late 1970s
Hi all - can any of you lovely folks nail this down for me please? The carrier bag strongly suggests Wales, but I know that Grandad had a trip to Oban in that approximate era so it might be a red herring. I’m confident it’s late 1970s, or 1980 at the latest.
mcintg: Outside the Hydro hotel in Llandudno Wales.
mcintg: Outside the Hydro hotel in Llandudno Wales.
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25points
#4 Corstorphine Scotland? Old Family Photo Of A Great Great Relative. Looking For This Building If Anyone Recognizes It
My folks are in Edinburgh, Scotland for a few days and seeing if we can track it down while they are near!
KPV_UK: Best guess is on St Johns Road, here's a street view.
KPV_UK: Best guess is on St Johns Road, here's a street view.
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24points
#5 1958 Western Germany Futuristic Gas Station, Anybody Know Exact Location?
Kat75018: Bochum Germany, you're looking at the old Aral Headquarters. I think the new headquarters are at the same place.
MK2555GSFX: The building in the background is the old Aral HQ building in Bochum.
According to this site the new HQ was built on the site of the old one, so that puts it here.
If we're assuming that there's a fuel station on this site still, then it must be this one.
MK2555GSFX: The building in the background is the old Aral HQ building in Bochum.
According to this site the new HQ was built on the site of the old one, so that puts it here.
If we're assuming that there's a fuel station on this site still, then it must be this one.
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21points
#6 My Brother Pulled This Out Of An Armchair Just Now. Nobody In The Family Knows Anything About It
My parents bought the chair in the 1990s in Singapore. My grandparents were from Canada so maybe it comes from one of their pockets and slipped out years ago?
MonkeyPawWishes: Tammy Ten was a racecar from Ontario in the 1960s.
maccapackets: This is correct. You can see Driver Harv Lennox and Mechanic Joe Suhr painted on the back. The photo was likely taken at Nilestown Speedway east of London Ontario.
MonkeyPawWishes: Tammy Ten was a racecar from Ontario in the 1960s.
maccapackets: This is correct. You can see Driver Harv Lennox and Mechanic Joe Suhr painted on the back. The photo was likely taken at Nilestown Speedway east of London Ontario.
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20points
#7 Trying To Find This House In Dorset
In a folder of old photos from a distant relative, I have found this old photograph, with a caption on the back written: “Raithby, Branksome, Dorset.”
I know that the house belonged to an old relative, who was a minister “Richard Walker”
Just seeing if anyone has an idea of if the house is still standing?
Figusto: Crescent Road, Poole (the area of Branksome in Poole)
The street view above shows the house, but it has scaffolding on it. Look at an older streetview and you'll see the house, which used to be known as Raithby.
Just adding: a bishop by the name of Rev Thomas Greenland used to live there until he [passed away] in 1904 (according to a newspaper article from the time).
I know that the house belonged to an old relative, who was a minister “Richard Walker”
Just seeing if anyone has an idea of if the house is still standing?
Figusto: Crescent Road, Poole (the area of Branksome in Poole)
The street view above shows the house, but it has scaffolding on it. Look at an older streetview and you'll see the house, which used to be known as Raithby.
Just adding: a bishop by the name of Rev Thomas Greenland used to live there until he [passed away] in 1904 (according to a newspaper article from the time).
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20points
#8 Please Help Me ID The Location Of This Photo Of My Great Grandfather Antonio On A Bridge. It Was Likely Taken In Italy But Could Be Anywhere In Europe. Thank You!
hudsonSpan: Well, despite the very long distance from Italy, this may be the Queen Elizabeth Park bridge in Masterton New Zealand. Built in the 1930s and it is still standing. Located at 40°56'52.7"S 175°40'12.7"E. The towers, deck, railing, suspender clips are good matches, but the towers of the actual Masterton bridge strike me as being slightly wider than your photo.
hudsonSpan: The more I research the more I think this bridge was rebuilt in the late 1930s to the same design, possibly just with new towers and the same suspension system. A catastrophic flood hit Masterton in 1934. It may have partially destroyed the bridge. There was also an earthquake in 1942, but the current bridge seems to date to the late 1930s. OP's image appears to show the original bridge. Images cited as being in the 1920s all seem to show a bridge with slightly narrower towers than the current bridge.Either it was rebuilt or there was a nearby sister structure no longer standing.
hudsonSpan: The more I research the more I think this bridge was rebuilt in the late 1930s to the same design, possibly just with new towers and the same suspension system. A catastrophic flood hit Masterton in 1934. It may have partially destroyed the bridge. There was also an earthquake in 1942, but the current bridge seems to date to the late 1930s. OP's image appears to show the original bridge. Images cited as being in the 1920s all seem to show a bridge with slightly narrower towers than the current bridge.Either it was rebuilt or there was a nearby sister structure no longer standing.
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20points
#9 Where Is My Dad Playing Golf In The 70’s? I’m Assuming It’s In The UK Somewhere
MahatmaAndhi: Looks like Turnberry in Scotland.
Logical-History-36: Turnberry golf course (now Trump Turnberry) in South Ayrshire.
Logical-History-36: Turnberry golf course (now Trump Turnberry) in South Ayrshire.
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19points
#11 Which Train Station? Taw Valley Steam Locomotive, UK, Early 90s. Any Ideas?
h_a_z_: Oh wow! So this was my dad's loco. He worked on it with Bert (mentioned in another post) after rescuing it from a scrap yard in Barry Island in 1980 and restored it at Grosmont works on the North York Moors.
They had two engines, the other being 75014 - On my 16th birthday in the 90's I lit the first fire in one of their refurbished tenders (I can't remember which one it was, it's been a LONG time!). It ran all over the UK.
My dad is probably firing it in this photo. I asked him where it was taken. He said, frustratingly, "No Idea".
EDIT: He said "could be Faversham"
EDIT 2: "Not Faversham. That was the Black Five as well, later than Taw Valley. It will be further out west."
EDIT 3: "Could be Ashford but hard to tell now as it was redeveloped for Eurostar"
EDIT 4: looks like it is Ashford, here's a photo of the Taw Valley nameplate on our wall along with the Hogwarts Express nameplate that was made when they did the UK book launch for book 3 of Harry Potter and the loco was repainted and renamed for the tour. Nameplate
LieutenantClownCar: That's my hometown, Ashford in Kent. There's an ugly, mostly abandoned high-speed train station there now. I literally grew up about a mile down the road from here, where the line splits off to go to Canterbury. We used to get the Orient Express parked out the back of our house, and I'm fairly certain I remember seeing the Golden Arrow(?) idling out back once or twice in the 90's. Memory is a little fuzzy on that one however.
They had two engines, the other being 75014 - On my 16th birthday in the 90's I lit the first fire in one of their refurbished tenders (I can't remember which one it was, it's been a LONG time!). It ran all over the UK.
My dad is probably firing it in this photo. I asked him where it was taken. He said, frustratingly, "No Idea".
EDIT: He said "could be Faversham"
EDIT 2: "Not Faversham. That was the Black Five as well, later than Taw Valley. It will be further out west."
EDIT 3: "Could be Ashford but hard to tell now as it was redeveloped for Eurostar"
EDIT 4: looks like it is Ashford, here's a photo of the Taw Valley nameplate on our wall along with the Hogwarts Express nameplate that was made when they did the UK book launch for book 3 of Harry Potter and the loco was repainted and renamed for the tour. Nameplate
LieutenantClownCar: That's my hometown, Ashford in Kent. There's an ugly, mostly abandoned high-speed train station there now. I literally grew up about a mile down the road from here, where the line splits off to go to Canterbury. We used to get the Orient Express parked out the back of our house, and I'm fairly certain I remember seeing the Golden Arrow(?) idling out back once or twice in the 90's. Memory is a little fuzzy on that one however.
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19points
#12 Where Is My Grandfather?
Findingjuno: Dwygyfylchi village and the sychnant pass, North Wales
Shown on this post card.
This seems to be location of the glen hotel in bottom right of picture and the building in the distance matches. So I presume your grandad was roughly here looking north east.
Shown on this post card.
This seems to be location of the glen hotel in bottom right of picture and the building in the distance matches. So I presume your grandad was roughly here looking north east.
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19points
#13 Found This Picture Among My Uncle's Things. Back Of Photo Says "Germany". It Was Taken While He Served Overseas During WWII. What City Is It?
Original_March_170: Bahnhof Bökel. See the article.
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17points
#14 This Was Either Taken In England Or Australia 1944-46
fuzzywuzzy20: Lincoln, alongside the cathedral its just out of frame on the right
Consultingtesting: Ok so I posted to Lincolnshire Reddit and they nailed it. Here's the link.
Thanks for your contributions.
Consultingtesting: Ok so I posted to Lincolnshire Reddit and they nailed it. Here's the link.
Thanks for your contributions.
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17points
#15 This Was My Grandad In Early 1950s In Germany. Anyone Know Exactly Where Either Photo Was Taken? Thanks
slothtastic1: They are standing in front of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin.
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15points
#16 Salzburg, 1989 But Where?
martinedoesgis: Hagenauerplatz.
Edit : looking at the angle, you took the picture from a window of the yellow building, Mozart's birth house.
Edit : looking at the angle, you took the picture from a window of the yellow building, Mozart's birth house.
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15points
#17 My Mom Would Love To Know The Location Of This Old Photo
boxtylad: It's on Herengtacht (near 384), just north of the intersection with Leidesgracht - approx google street view here. Attempt at juxtaposing old and new here.
Things to compare between the two - though you might have to move around in google maps to compare some of these; it's unfortunately not possible to get the exact same angle as the original photographer on street view, so you might have to bounce between a few nearby vantage points to see all the correspondences.
Things to compare between the two - though you might have to move around in google maps to compare some of these; it's unfortunately not possible to get the exact same angle as the original photographer on street view, so you might have to bounce between a few nearby vantage points to see all the correspondences.
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14points
#18 Does Anyone Know This Village? Looks Very German To Me
QuarckNL: It’s in Schiltach, Germany.
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14points
#19 I Want To Recreate This Photo But Can't Find The Location
Donkey-Haughty: This photo was taken from 355 high road Wembley. Taken at the exactly the corner of 355 high road and ecclestone place.
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13points
#20 We Found This Photo In My Grandad’s Collection. We Think It Was Taken In The Early 1940s, Somewhere In Aberdeenshire
During WW2 he was training at Kingseat Hospital, New Marchar and we think this a photo of a day out with other trainees at the hospital. I don’t have much more contact to provide, unfortunately, although the castle looking tower in the background should help?!
Grateful for any efforts!
wasthatitthen: Balmoral, it would seem.
Grateful for any efforts!
wasthatitthen: Balmoral, it would seem.
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13points