You Can Go Back In Time Via This New Site To See What PVD Used To Look Like, & Wow

A new historic and genealogy research site by Maureen "The Photo Detective" Taylor just launched, and it's pretty epic.

Old Providence (or oldpvd) blends historic maps and photos of historic buildings with stories about the people and events there.

The site targets locations in Providence. Here's what you see when you visit the homepage.

As you see from the map, there are already hundreds of photos uploaded for different sites around the city. Clicking one of those markers will pull up images and information on the individual site.

You can create an account quickly, easily, and free, and then add your own images and stories. There are videos that walk you through the process, but it's pretty easy. I uploaded a location marker and image myself. Took less than five minutes, including registration.

The slider at the top lets you move through time among the three historic maps that are currently uploaded, with more in the works. It's fascinating to see what changes and what stays the same.

This project was more than a year in the making. A passion project for Maureen and her team, it's also a useful tool for professionals, and fun and educational for the rest of us.

Maureen is a Providence resident who is an internationally recognized author and expert on the intersection of history, genealogy, and photography. “Photo geneaology is my life’s work, and it has led me to develop this new website,” she states. “This site allows for the curation of crowdsourced images from the City’s archives, the Providence Preservation Society, the Providence Public Library, private collectors, historic organizations, and the general public who live in the 25 neighborhoods that make up the City of Providence. It’s a vast collection that now can be brought to life and accessed for free all in one place by schools, historians, researchers, and anyone with an interest in seeing where something used to be or still is.”

More About The Author

Erika has been writing I Heart Rhody since 2010. A newcomer to Rhode Island, she started documenting her travels and adventures around the OS, and fell in love with the art, cultures and history of the state. IHR regularly features interviews with Rhode Island artists and makers. Follow on Twitter @iheartrhody, Facebook @iheartrhody , and Insta @iheartrhody.