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Portland Then and Now®
This book traces the evolution of the city from a small town long dominated by cast-iron, terracotta, and brick buildings to a tourist destination. Sites include: New Market Theater, Blagen Block, Royal Palm Hotel, Grand Stable & Carriage Building, Pioneer Courthouse, First National Bank, City Hall, Berg Building, Portland Art Museum, Masonic Temple, Paramount Theatre, Union Station, Pittock Mansion, Bagdad Theater, Hollywood Theatre, St. John’s Bridge, and Swan Island.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2017
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13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 31, 2018
This is an interesting coffee-table style book featuring photographs of Portland, OR. The author contrasts historic photos from the past with contemporary photos. Most interesting are the locations (mostly churches, hotels, theatres, schools, and others) of interest to preservationists.
Other locations have, not surprisingly, changed beyond ALL recognition. The accompanying text covers historical tidbits. Sometimes the author’s photographic choice of angles makes comparisons confusion or disorienting.
Other locations have, not surprisingly, changed beyond ALL recognition. The accompanying text covers historical tidbits. Sometimes the author’s photographic choice of angles makes comparisons confusion or disorienting.
July 4, 2017
A so called " coffee table book" that shows photos of old time Portland, from the 1800s to 1960s, versus the scene today. It's surprising that many of the old buildings are still recognizable
August 27, 2025
What a fun, meandering, circuitous journey this book turned out to be. It sent me on a weirdly obsessive journey of old fire stations and AI time travel.
You ever walk past a building in your city and wonder, “What was this place before it was a kombucha bar?” If you live in Portland - and especially if you're one of those local history weirdos like me - then this book is basically catnip. It’s the kind of book that answers that question with old-timey photos, juicy historical tidbits, and a little visual time travel that makes you want to lace up your boots and start wandering the streets like a tweed-wearing detective from the 1890s.
The concept is simple, but oh-so-satisfying: take a photo from way back when (we’re talking horse-and-buggy old) and place it side-by-side with a photo of the same exact spot today. It’s like “before and after” pictures for city blocks. The kind of thing HGTV would do if they were into architectural archaeology instead of farmhouse sinks.
And here’s the kicker: a lot of those old buildings are still standing. They’ve just been lovingly - or sometimes tragically - repurposed. One of my favorite parts was seeing a 19th-century fire station now operating as a 21st-century restaurant. I mean, what better place to enjoy a Caesar salad than a room where horses used to panic at the sound of the bell? That kind of transformation gives you a sense of just how alive a city can be - constantly shedding skins, taking on new identities, and occasionally slapping a vegan taco stand on top of a historic foundation.
For someone like me, who’s always been hungry for local history, this book is a goldmine. The problem with city-specific history is that the audience is tiny. It’s not like people in Kansas are lining up to read about Burnside Street. So it’s rare to find a book that not only celebrates your hometown’s history, but does it in such a readable and visually compelling way.
But what’s really turned this book into a full-blown obsession for me is using it as a launching pad for AI-assisted time travel. I’ve been going to the exact spots featured in the book, standing right where those century-old photographers stood, and then firing up my AI to ask: “Okay, take me back. What was this corner like in the 1890s? What changed in the 1920s? What happened when the neon signs came in, when the freeways carved through, when the hipsters arrived on vintage bikes?”
The result? Hours of me wandering around downtown Portland like a dazed but enthusiastic time tourist. I’m standing in front of buildings I’ve walked past a hundred times, but now I’m seeing them for the first time - really noticing the details, imagining the cigar shops and milliners and soda fountains that used to be there. It's the kind of thing that makes you feel strangely connected to the city in a way that Instagram never will.
And honestly, that’s the magic of this book. It’s not just about the photos (though they’re great) or the historical notes (which are succinct and just nerdy enough). It’s about the spark it sets off. You see a picture of an old building, still clinging to life through multiple identity crises, and you start wondering: Who built it? Who walked by it? What did they care about, fear, love? And how did this city shape them?
Sure, the book isn’t trying to be an exhaustive historical tome. There aren’t long essays or deep dives into politics or policy. And to be fair, the ending where it drifts into the future of cities (okay, not really - but you know how some books just run out of steam?) doesn’t quite deliver the same punch as the rest of it. The whole genetic-engineering-esque pondering of urban change felt a little familiar and didn’t break any new ground. But honestly, I didn’t mind. The real meat is in the photos and the comparisons—and those deliver in spades.
Bottom line: ‘Portland Then and Now’ is one of those rare books that feels like a tool, a toy, and a treasure map all rolled into one. It gives you a lens through which to see your city - not just how it looks today, but how it feels through time. And if you happen to be an AI geek or a fellow local-history wanderer like me, then buckle up, because this book might just unlock your next favorite hobby.
In other words, don’t be surprised if you find yourself explaining to a confused barista that the café used to be a shoe repair shop in 1912.
You ever walk past a building in your city and wonder, “What was this place before it was a kombucha bar?” If you live in Portland - and especially if you're one of those local history weirdos like me - then this book is basically catnip. It’s the kind of book that answers that question with old-timey photos, juicy historical tidbits, and a little visual time travel that makes you want to lace up your boots and start wandering the streets like a tweed-wearing detective from the 1890s.
The concept is simple, but oh-so-satisfying: take a photo from way back when (we’re talking horse-and-buggy old) and place it side-by-side with a photo of the same exact spot today. It’s like “before and after” pictures for city blocks. The kind of thing HGTV would do if they were into architectural archaeology instead of farmhouse sinks.
And here’s the kicker: a lot of those old buildings are still standing. They’ve just been lovingly - or sometimes tragically - repurposed. One of my favorite parts was seeing a 19th-century fire station now operating as a 21st-century restaurant. I mean, what better place to enjoy a Caesar salad than a room where horses used to panic at the sound of the bell? That kind of transformation gives you a sense of just how alive a city can be - constantly shedding skins, taking on new identities, and occasionally slapping a vegan taco stand on top of a historic foundation.
For someone like me, who’s always been hungry for local history, this book is a goldmine. The problem with city-specific history is that the audience is tiny. It’s not like people in Kansas are lining up to read about Burnside Street. So it’s rare to find a book that not only celebrates your hometown’s history, but does it in such a readable and visually compelling way.
But what’s really turned this book into a full-blown obsession for me is using it as a launching pad for AI-assisted time travel. I’ve been going to the exact spots featured in the book, standing right where those century-old photographers stood, and then firing up my AI to ask: “Okay, take me back. What was this corner like in the 1890s? What changed in the 1920s? What happened when the neon signs came in, when the freeways carved through, when the hipsters arrived on vintage bikes?”
The result? Hours of me wandering around downtown Portland like a dazed but enthusiastic time tourist. I’m standing in front of buildings I’ve walked past a hundred times, but now I’m seeing them for the first time - really noticing the details, imagining the cigar shops and milliners and soda fountains that used to be there. It's the kind of thing that makes you feel strangely connected to the city in a way that Instagram never will.
And honestly, that’s the magic of this book. It’s not just about the photos (though they’re great) or the historical notes (which are succinct and just nerdy enough). It’s about the spark it sets off. You see a picture of an old building, still clinging to life through multiple identity crises, and you start wondering: Who built it? Who walked by it? What did they care about, fear, love? And how did this city shape them?
Sure, the book isn’t trying to be an exhaustive historical tome. There aren’t long essays or deep dives into politics or policy. And to be fair, the ending where it drifts into the future of cities (okay, not really - but you know how some books just run out of steam?) doesn’t quite deliver the same punch as the rest of it. The whole genetic-engineering-esque pondering of urban change felt a little familiar and didn’t break any new ground. But honestly, I didn’t mind. The real meat is in the photos and the comparisons—and those deliver in spades.
Bottom line: ‘Portland Then and Now’ is one of those rare books that feels like a tool, a toy, and a treasure map all rolled into one. It gives you a lens through which to see your city - not just how it looks today, but how it feels through time. And if you happen to be an AI geek or a fellow local-history wanderer like me, then buckle up, because this book might just unlock your next favorite hobby.
In other words, don’t be surprised if you find yourself explaining to a confused barista that the café used to be a shoe repair shop in 1912.
September 9, 2018
It’s so fun to investigate a city, and visuals are such a perfect way to consider how a space has changed over time.
I liked the details in some of these.. and I was left with more questions. Where did that neon Goose go on the top of that power building ?? How did a building shift from a horse carriage space to not (and to learn so much of the horse carriage business was from being a hearse!?). What was the flood (33.5 feet of water !?) really like .. how did people move around so well in that era.. I’m amazed. Anyways. Lots to wonder about and this book and it’s comparisons and tidbits add to the wonder as we wander Portland this weekend.
I liked the details in some of these.. and I was left with more questions. Where did that neon Goose go on the top of that power building ?? How did a building shift from a horse carriage space to not (and to learn so much of the horse carriage business was from being a hearse!?). What was the flood (33.5 feet of water !?) really like .. how did people move around so well in that era.. I’m amazed. Anyways. Lots to wonder about and this book and it’s comparisons and tidbits add to the wonder as we wander Portland this weekend.
March 2, 2022
Great photos of Portland through the years. This one is worth your time and your money---
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews