then and now - Buzancy

[PTrenton]

I love "then and now" photos.  I have this one from American Armies and Battle Fields in Europe.  I believe the scene is looking north from vantage point N49.426475, E4.955296 along Rue du Gén Chanzy (D947) turning the curve toward the right and going slightly uphill per the street view in Google map.  Incidentally, that is an extremely worthwhile book - chock full of photos, maps and details.  It was printed by the U.S. Govt. Print Office, and as such, is in the Public Domain.  I have a few other examples where I am more or less sure of a match.  It is a fun little game when I have some time for it.

 

[PRC]

18 hours ago, PTrenton said:

I love "then and now" photos.  I have this one from American Armies and Battle Fields in Europe.  I believe the scene is looking north from vantage point N49.426475, E4.955296 along Rue du Gén Chanzy (D947) turning the curve toward the right and going slightly uphill per the street view in Google map. 

When you say "then and now" pictures do you mean something like this - if I've understood your directions

("Now" image courtesy Google Streetview and dated by them May 2019).

I assume the houses on the right going up the hill have been knocked down at some point in order for the road to be widened.

American Armies and Battle Fields in Europe published by the U.S. G.P.O. in 1938 is available on Archive org. The picture you have posted is on page 286. The text on the opposite page refers to Buzancy's capture by the 80th Division early in the afternoon of November 2nd 1918.

“After the Americans had advance beyond it, the only roads available for the 77th and 80th Divisions passed through Buzancy. Knowing that these would be crowded, the Germans shelled and bombed the crossroads in town for several days, thus making the movement of troops and supplies through this village a hazardous and difficult undertaking.

Buzancy was the 80th Division Headquarters during the period November 4-7."
 https://archive.org/details/americanarmiesba00wash/page/286/mode/2up?q=Buzancy&view=theater

On Page 191 there is another picture of Buzancy on the "day after its’ capture". Courtesy of Google Streetview is roughly what I think is the same location, dated by them to March 2011.

Looks like the gap between the buildings in 1918 has been infilled as garages with accomodation above.
https://archive.org/details/americanarmiesba00wash/page/186/mode/2up?q=Buzancy

However that does take me back to the text. Both pictures are alleged to have been taken on the 3rd November 1918 and are clearly in broad daylight, involving the streets leading to the crossroads in Buzancy. Now everyone involved may have got a bit fatalistic, but neither picture show men in much of a hurry to get through what has been described as an area subject to heavy shelling and bombing. The second picture also doesn't show them all that concerned about the effect of being hit by shells \ bombs in a narrow street where the blast would have been confined and channelled.

So either the narrative is overstated or these pictures weren't taken on the 3rd. I can't see either of them in the Library of Congress collection, although I may simply be using the wrong search criteria.

(No new IP was created in producing the above and all image rights remain with the current owners).

Cheers,
Peter

[PTrenton]

Yes Peter, that is what I meant by "then and now."  Thanks for that second instance!  The steeple is the only thing making it clear to me.  About the date, I've read that some (many?) WW1 photos were staged for the photographer, so perhaps the date doesn't correspond to the action depicted.

A few years ago I found a website showing a different style of "then and now" that added further to my interest: "...photographer Peter Macdiarmid revisited some of the key locations of the conflict. He overlaid his pictures with shots taken during the war years, bringing the haunting conflict of 1914 to 1918 back to life."

And I have copies of a publication from the 1930s which was wholly dedicated to "then and now" pictures.  I would reference the name, but it is in a bottom box in the basement.  I recall finding no copyright notice, so at some point I intend to scan it and post online her or archive.org among other places.

 

Oh, and do you happen to know of any websites devoted to WW1 stereoscopic cards (Keystone or other)?  That is another interest of mine.

regards,

- Perry

 

[PRC]

10 minutes ago, PTrenton said:

The steeple is the only thing making it clear to me. 

In the second picture at the end of the road there appears to be some kind of memorial - presumably relating to the Franco-Prussian War in the "then" picture. The village war memorial still stands there and can be seen in the "now" equivalent.

14 minutes ago, PTrenton said:

About the date, I've read that some (many?) WW1 photos were staged for the photographer, so perhaps the date doesn't correspond to the action depicted.

Nearly all the action pictures are likely to be staged if they have much in the way of detail. I don't think these two are staged but they might be 4 or 5 days later or even post armistice, which will probably make a big difference to the likely units pictured - and also why they are not so concerned about shelling and bombing!

18 minutes ago, PTrenton said:

And I have copies of a publication from the 1930s which was wholly dedicated to "then and now" pictures.

Believe that one is quite famous and I have a vague memory that it may already be on line.

19 minutes ago, PTrenton said:

A few years ago I found a website showing a different style of "then and now" that added further to my interest: "...photographer Peter Macdiarmid revisited some of the key locations of the conflict. He overlaid his pictures with shots taken during the war years, bringing the haunting conflict of 1914 to 1918 back to life."

The city where I live suffered badly from German air raids in April 1942 and June 1942, (the so called Baedekker raids) and much of the city centre was burnt out. A local artist has tried to align modern photographs with the same locations in the immediate aftermatch of the raids. They don't always work, but worth a look. https://www.flickr.com/photos/osborne_villas/albums/72157625836754972

 

24 minutes ago, PTrenton said:

Oh, and do you happen to know of any websites devoted to WW1 stereoscopic cards (Keystone or other)?  That is another interest of mine.

If you use the search box at the top of the page and use the search term "stereoscopic" you will get a number of hits including this long running thread

Cheers,
Peter

[morrisc8]

 

Here is the link to my stereo glass photos 

 

Edited 24 March , 2023 by morrisc8