London Apps: Time Travel Explorer On iPad

M@
By M@ Last edited 159 months ago
London Apps: Time Travel Explorer On iPad
Modern London
Modern London
London in 1862
London in 1862
London in 1830
London in 1830
London in 1799
London in 1799
London in 1746
London in 1746
Points of interest around Trafalgar Square. Note audio tracks and images are available for many.
Points of interest around Trafalgar Square. Note audio tracks and images are available for many.
Points of interest
Points of interest
Trafalgar Square in 1862.
Trafalgar Square in 1862.
Trafalgar Square in 1746
Trafalgar Square in 1746
Trafalgar Square in 1830
Trafalgar Square in 1830
Travelling between 1746 and 1862. Note how many of the roads line up precisely.
Travelling between 1746 and 1862. Note how many of the roads line up precisely.
Trafalgar Square in 1799
Trafalgar Square in 1799

Time Travel Explorer, one of our digital highlights of the year, is now available on iPad. And it looks more crisp and inviting than an 18th Century frost fair.

Time Travel Explorer is probably the closest you can get to time travel without a flux capacitor. The app lets you pinpoint your location on a modern map of London, then merge in maps from yesteryear to see how the area has changed. In nearly all cases, the alignment is near-precise. Corporate headquarters give way to alleys and stable blocks, which in turn revert to fields and orchards as you head back to the earliest map in 1746. Better yet, the maps come with hundreds of points of interest, which carry text, old photos and audio commentary from a Blue Badge Guide.

The new high-definition iPad version ratchets the experience up several notches. The larger screen and sharp resolution are mouthwatering for anyone who loves exploring old maps and poking around in the corners of London's history.

An ongoing blog (written by Londonist M@ and London journalist Peter Watts) highlights the many interesting stories revealed by the maps in Time Travel Explorer - from pinpointing the locations of London's lost City gates to uncovering the geographic history of sites connected with Jack the Ripper.

Time Travel Explorer is available here for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

Full disclosure: Time Travel Explorer was designed and built by our friends at LDN Creative, publishers of Londonist.

Last Updated 29 December 2010