Even though it is physically impossible, people have always desired to travel in time. Whether it is to discover what your city looked like in the past, mend a mistake, or shift the course of history, chances are you’ve been tempted by time travel at least once in your life. Countless movies have taken this topic to the big screen, such as the famous Back to the Future. However, even if you can’t get inside a DeLorean to magically appear at a different age like in the film, you can travel by looking at pictures. People have documented everything from their old family homes to ancient monuments and compared them with how they look now. With the help of the subreddit r/OldPhotosInRealLife, get ready to be amazed by these fantastic “then and now” photos.

The Manhattan Bridge was already outstanding in 1908, seven years after the start of its construction

New York is known not only for its busy streets and cosmopolitan population but also for its world-renowned landmarks. These provide the background for pictures of millions of tourists that visit them every year, but there was a time when they didn’t exist, and these pictures prove it.

Take a look at these photos of the Manhattan Bridge. Its construction started in 1901, and the picture above shows it seven years into the process of being built. Today, you probably couldn’t imagine New York without this notorious landmark. Along with the Brooklyn and Williamsburg bridges, this one has become a must-see in the Big Apple.