General views of downtown Boston during the 1800's.

This view of downtown Boston was the first aerial photograph taken in the United States. This photo was produced in 1860 by Boston photographer James Wallace Black from a hot air balloon tethered over Boston Common. Nine plate glass negatives were exposed, this image was the clearest of the nine.

This lithograph depicting the details of the destruction from Boston's Great Fire of 1872 was published nationally in Harper's Weekly magazine just after the fire.

General view of Boston's Back Bay overlooking the public garden along Arlington Street. ca. 1872. The Peace Jubilee hall can be seen behind the Arlington Street Church to the left.

A modern satellite view of downtown Boston. The area destroyed during the Great Fire of 1872 is highlighted in red.