Travel Back in Time with This Incredibly Crisp Footage of Life in New York City in 1911

If you’ve ever wanted to feel what it’s like to step into a time machine, watch the below old footage shot in New York City in 1911. Culled from the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in NYC, the film was originally shot by the Swedish company Svenska Biografteatern during a trip to America.

Not only does the print look to be in near mint condition, the speed of the footage has been slowed down to resemble a more natural rate. Ambient sound has also been added to enhance the experience.

Our favorite part occurs at the 4-minute mark, where the cameraman appears to hitch a ride on the back of a tram or a truck and captures a POV shot of a family crammed into an old car driving down what appears to be Broadway. What’s also jarring is that while the people in the film are all, of course, dressed differently, many of the buildings, bridges and structures don’t look much different from today in New York.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

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