Historypin puts history on the map

A website and phone app has taken the notion of the “now and then” photo to another level, allowing people to see what a street looked like 10, 20 or even 100 years ago.

Like a photographic trip down memory lane, the British app lets users “pin” photos to places on a map, allowing them to see how the world has changed since the photo was taken.

Historypin was founded by Oxford graduate and former teacher Nick Stanhope, chief executive of London-based company We Are What We Do.

The website is the main focus of the Historypin operation, alongside the app released for iPhone and Android phones, already downloaded 270,000 times.

“The app also allows users to add content in a few different ways – to take modern replicas of historical images, capture modern historical moments as they are happening, and scan and upload old images,” Stanhope says.

“It’s easy for people to use. All you need to do is digitise your images, collect information – the more details you can find the better – upload it and pin it.”

Consumers tend to fall in love with companies that can invoke nostalgia, so perhaps you can draw inspiration from Historypin and develop your own idea around “memory lane”.