Historic aerial imagery Archives - Blog Historic Aerials

Modern aerial view showing visible earthwork outlines and geometric shapes at the Junction Earthworks site, appearing as crop and vegetation patterns in an open field.

Archaeology from Above: How Historic Aerial Photos and LiDAR Reveal Time Depth in the Landscape

Historic aerial imagery plays a critical role in archaeology by preserving time depth—revealing how landscapes changed long before modern development erased surface evidence. A farm field in midsummer looks like

Public Domain Day 2026

Why 1930 Sanborn Maps are in now in the public domain…and how the rules actually work Every January 1, a quiet but meaningful shift occurs in the historical record. Another

The Secret Places Where New Cars Are Sent to Be Broken

As a new resident of Arizona, I’ve spent some time scrolling through aerial imagery of the surrounding landscape, examining the evolution of cities like Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa over the

How HistoricAerials Helps Authors Rebuild The Past

There’s a certain poetry to seeing the past from above. The faint outline of a gravel lot, the ghost of a screen’s shadow, the looping pattern of old car ramps.

How America’s Earliest Airfields Live On

Many of America’s earliest airfields and airports are now decommissioned or repurposed. Looking at modern satellite imagery, you might never know they existed without a closer examination of a place’s

Collapsed beach house on an eroding bluff along the shore of Lake Michigan near Montague, Michigan.

The Truth About Owning Waterfront Property

So you’ve found the perfect waterfront property and you’re already imagining the dock you’ll build, the backyard barbecues, the early‑morning kayak trips, and the long, quiet evenings by the water.

Drone view of flood-damaged roadways and bridges along the Guadalupe River near Comfort, Texas, after flash flooding.

Aerial History of Flash Floods: Texas 2025 to SoCal 1938

Flash floods have shaped American history for generations. Each one reminds us that we cannot stop extreme rain, but we can reduce its impact. After every major event, local agencies,

Civil War soldiers using portable gas generators to inflate Professor Thaddeus Lowe’s military observation balloon near Gaines Mill, Virginia.

Balloons Of War, Part I: The Birth (and Near-Miss) of Aerial Reconnaissance

In early 2023, a high-altitude Chinese surveillance balloon drifted into U.S. airspace. The balloon spent days crossing the continent before an F-22 shot it down off South Carolina. U.S. officials

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

George R. Lawrence, Aerial Photography, and the “Hitherto Impossible” View of San Francisco

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

Archaeology from Above: How Historic Aerial Photos and LiDAR Reveal Time Depth in the Landscape

Public Domain Day 2026

The Secret Places Where New Cars Are Sent to Be Broken

How HistoricAerials Helps Authors Rebuild The Past

How America’s Earliest Airfields Live On

The Truth About Owning Waterfront Property

Aerial History of Flash Floods: Texas 2025 to SoCal 1938

Balloons Of War, Part I: The Birth (and Near-Miss) of Aerial Reconnaissance

George R. Lawrence, Aerial Photography, and the “Hitherto Impossible” View of San Francisco

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