Historic Aerials Blog

Delving into the past, one story at a time — exploring historical people, places, and events that shaped our world.

Labeled historic aerial image showing three generations of the National Road near West Alexander, Pennsylvania, including the original pike, U.S. Route 40, and Interstate 70.

The National Road: America’s First Highway

Tomorrow morning, many of us will slide behind the wheel without a second thought. Coffee secure in the cup holder. Climate-controlled air humming quietly. A familiar podcast filling the car

Panning panoramic aerial photograph showing widespread destruction in San Francisco following the 1906 earthquake and fire.

The First Time Humanity Saw a Disaster From the Sky

How did anyone photograph San Francisco from the air in 1906—years before airplanes existed?
George R. Lawrence’s panoramic image of the ruined city looks deceptively modern, but its creation

Above the Trenches: WWI and the Revolution in Aerial Reconnaissance

World War I is defined by its horrific mechanized violence that slaughtered millions of soldiers. The desperate necessities of that brutal war served as a catalyst for rapid technological development,

Lindbergh and the Birth of Aerial Archaeology in the Americas

Charles Lindbergh is best remembered for his historic transatlantic flight, but his contributions to archaeology are less known. His fascination with using planes for archaeological discovery began in the summer

Aerial Insights: Exploring the Aftermath of the 1957 Ruskin Heights Tornado

On the evening of May 20, 1957, a wedge tornado more than a mile wide carved through the Ruskin Heights neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri. It killed 44 people. Injured

Tracing Suburban Growth Through Aerial Images

Suburbs have become woven into the fabric of American life, stretching out from city centers and transforming what was once forest and farmland into sprawling neighborhoods, shopping centers, and winding

Submerged More Of America’s Flooded Places

Beneath some of America’s most popular lakes, there are roads. Foundations. Railroad beds. The grid of streets that once organized someone’s entire life. The water is calm and the scenery

Rings of Speed: America’s Historic Race Tracks

For those interested in the history of auto racing, there is so much available to discover and explore in aerial imagery. Many legendary tracks have been the settings for our

Cargo ship collided with and collapsed a portion of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

Francis Scott Key Bridge: Aerial Insights on Baltimore’s Outer Crossing

Steel folded like paper and concrete sheared into jagged edges — the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge left a visual imprint that’s hard to forget. But long before

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