Many of the things we see in life are viewed through filters, photos, television, or the internet. We don’t always get to see things how they truly are and get an accurate sense of scale. Much of what we do see is all about perspective, and here are some rare views of things that show us a different side of the world we live in.
THE STATUE OF LIBERTY TORCH ON DISPLAY IN 1876
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic monuments in New York. In 1876, the torch was shipped to the United States. Interestingly, the torch is one of the most significant parts of the statue. “It lights the way to freedom and down the path to liberty.”
PAINTING THE EIFFEL TOWER, 1932
We’ve all seen the Eiffel Tower either in pictures, movies, or in real-life. In this vintage photo, we see a different point of view of how tall and large the Eiffel tower really is. Painters are painting the tower, and since its construction, it has been re-painted 19 times. An average of once every 7 years.
BUILDING THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1923
The Hollywood sign was built in 1923 and was originally built for a real-estate advertisement. Today, it’s one of the most famous landmarks in America, and a cultural icon. Up close, the sign is massive and each letter is 30 feet fight high.
ONE OF THE TALLEST STATUES IN THE WORLD AND THE TALLEST STATUE IN JAPAN
The Sendai Daikannon, also known as the statue of goddess, is amongst the tallest statues in the world, and the largest in Japan. It was completed in 1991 and stands at 330 feet tall. This photo shows an incredible view of how massive the statue is compared to the city.
“DAMS ARE ABSOLUTELY HUGE AND CREEPY”
For those of us who many not know the purpose of a dam, its an incredibly large structure built across a stream or river to hold back water. China has the most dams with over 23,000, followed by the United States with about 9,200 large dams. This photo is proof that yes, “dams are absolutely huge and creepy.”
CHRIST THE REDEEMER STATUE UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, 1931
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This famous statue known as Cristo Rendentor or Christ the Redeemer is famously one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This incredible picture shows us a different angle and perspective of the statues construction. The statue is 98 feet high, and its stretched out arms are 92 feet wide. Impressively, it also stands on a 26 foot pedestal.
“DUBAI FROM THE NOSEBLEED SEATS”
If you have an intense fear of heights, this picture is not for you. However, one of the best ways to see Dubai is from the sky. This is a bird’s eye view of the very top of the tallest building in the world-the Burj Khalifa. This rare view is a bit mind-blowing and scary at the same time, but truly unbelievable.
TWO MEN WORKING ON THE 60 FOOT GRANITE HEAD SCULPTURE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
Mount Rushmore is located in South Dakota and took 14 years to carve. Each of the four U.S. presidents represented in this monument are 60 feet high and sits 5,725 feet above sea level. Today, nearly 3 million visitors visit this monument annually.
HIGHWAY IN CHINA THAT GOES FROM FIFTY LANES TO FOUR LANES
After looking at this photo we’ll be sure to never complain about sitting in traffic ever again. No matter where you are driving, always keep in mind that a 50 lane highway that magically merges into 4 lanes really does exist-in China. Welcome to the G4 Expressway.
PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE JUST HOW HUGE THE MICHELANGELO DAVID REALLY IS
Michelangelo’s statue of David stands beautifully on display in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, Italy. Looking at the statue when it’s under construction shows us a different angle of how small we look compared to it. To be more exact, the statue is roughly the size of a two-story building and weighs 12,500 pounds.
MASSIVE CROWDS GATHER FOR THE FIRST WOODSTOCK, 1969
The first day of Woodstock was in August of 1969, and drew enormous crowds of people, over 400,000 to be exact. By the amount of people seen in this photo, it’s no surprise that it caused a huge traffic jam and New York Governor declared a state of emergency.
THE WORLD’S LARGEST SWIMMING POOL IN CHILE
This ariel view is Chile’s Crystal Lagoon. It’s the biggest pool in the world and is located in San Alfonso del Mar. This looks like the ultimate vacation hangout. This truly enormous pool is more than a kilometer long, contains 250 million liters of water, and is 115 feet deep in the middle.
EACH LINK IN THIS ANCHOR WEIGHS 500 LBS
To know how big anchor chains really are, use this human for scale. Each link of this anchor weighs an impressive 500 pounds and an entire anchor on a carrier like this weighs around 30 tons!
A VIEW FROM BACKSTAGE AT THE CUVILLIES THEATER IN MUNICH, GERMANY
This photograph is a behind the scenes look at what the backstage of a theater looks like. A view the audience members rarely, if ever, see. This is Cuvillies Theater in Munich Germany. The backstage is perhaps one of the most important parts of the theater- it’s where all the magic happens. From the lightening, sounds, music, and props, the technicians working make these performances come to life.
THIS IS WHAT THE TRAFFIC CONTROL ROOM LOOKS LIKE IN BEIJING, CHINA
This is truly an incredible image of Beijing’s traffic control room. Beijing is the capital of China with a population of 18 million people. That’s a lot of people so a control room is designed to monitor the flow of traffic and rail lines throughout the country.
INSIDE AN ATTIC AFTER A HAIL STORM IN WYLIE, TEXAS
This photo shows us the damage that was done to this house after a crazy hail storm in Texas. After taking a look at this picture it’s safe to say that hail storms are no joke, especially when tennis sized holes are pierced through your attic. If you live in places where hail storms are common, you better have good home owners insurance!
PAINTERS ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE, 1914
This iconic photograph of men in suspenders posing on the Brooklyn Bridge was taken by Eugene de Salignac in 1914. The Brooklyn Bridge is on of New York’s most recognizable landmarks. It has since been repainted and took six years to complete.
THIS IS HOW BIG THE EASTER ISLAND STATUES REALLY ARE
Yes, the Easter Island Statues have bodies! But, maybe you already knew that. Easter Island is a Chilean island known for its stone head statues, known as Moai. As early as 1914 archeologists discovered that the heads of some of these statues came with torsos that had been covered up over many centuries. Using these humans for scale, these statues are massive.
THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, 1933
The construction of the Golden Gate Bridge began in 1933 and is located in San Francisco, California. The bridge is one of the most recognizable bridges in California and declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World. The Golden Gate Bridge is an impressive 1.7 miles long and 90 feet wide.
CAPTAIN POSES FOR EPIC PICTURE ON BOW OF HIS HUGE SHIP
This photo shoot took place at a port off the coast of Bali and was positioned with safety boats nearby just as a precaution incase something happened. This image even blew the photographers mind and he’s quoted saying “it is this towering creature and this little man, it is an incredible juxtaposition. It’s one of the most epic shoots I have ever done.”
THE BEATLES PREPARING TO CROSS ABBEY ROAD FOR ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS PHOTO SHOOTS OF THEIR CAREER
All four of the Beatles band members came together on August 8th, 1969 for one of their most famous photo shoots ever. The iconic image of them crossing Abbey Road was taken my photographer Iain Macmillion. This photoshoot was so classic that policemen held up traffic in order to get the perfect shot.
THIS NEEDLE IS HOW A CHINESE SOLDIER KEEPS HIS POSTURE
This is a picture of a Chinese paramilitary policeman preparing for the National’s People’s Congress. A pin is placed on the collar as a training method to correct posture. Apparently, not all soldiers have to endure this method of training, it’s only a corrective measure for those who’s posture don’t meet the standard.
“WE HAVE BEEN HAVING AN UNREAL ICEBERG SEASON THIS YEAR”
If you’ve never seen an iceberg before, Newfoundland is a great place to come and check them out. Icebergs are the edges of glaciers that have slipped off into the ocean. However, they might get a little too close for comfort for some people. The sizes of these icebergs are truly amazing.
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN HONG KONG, CHINA
This view of this residential building in Hong Kong is quiet spectacular on many different levels. We get a sense of not only how big and tall the apartment building is, but how incredibly dense it is as well. When we see a new place with fresh eyes, it puts the world into perspective of how other people live.
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT THE TOP OF MT. EVEREST LOOKS LIKE?
This photo is literally a view from the top of the world! Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world at 29,029 feet. Interestingly, the mountain grows taller every year! Mount Everest is located in Nepal and over the years thousands of climbers have tried to reach the top. However, have you ever wondered what it looks like at the top? Well, this photo shows you a glimpse of what climbers have left behind.
A BIRDS EYE VIEW OF THE TAJ MAHAL
The Taj Mahal is one of the most iconic and well-known monuments in the world and is visited by millions of tourists every year. It is located on the southern bank of the Yamuna River in India. It was built over a 20 year period and it’s beautiful architecture is mixed with Persian, Indian, and Islamic influences. This birds eye view shows us a spectacular view of how it sits above the city.
THIS IS HOW BIG THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA REALLY IS COMPARED TO A HUMAN
Unless you’ve stood next to a real pyramid in Egypt, many of us have only seen them in pictures or in movies. However, how big is the Great Pyramid of Giza? Well, take a look at the woman at the bottom of this picture. It’s that big. This is the largest pyramid and tomb in Egypt and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
A SOCCER FIELD LOCATED ON AN ISLAND IN HENNINGSVAER, NORWAY
Woah! What an experience it would be to play soccer here at this stadium in Norway. Henningsvaer is a small town of only 500 people and its surrounded by beautiful seas, mountains, and breathtaking scenery. Obviously, there must be some major soccer fans as well, which is why this stadium was built.
A CYCLISTS LEGS AFTER THE 16TH STAGE OF TOUR DE FRANCE MARATHON
The Tour De France is a multiple-stage bicycling race held primarily in France, but is also hosted in other countries as well. The race consists of 21 stages over the course of 23 days. That’s a lot of bicycle riding, and this picture was taken after the 16th stage of the race and is an affect of the grueling 2,200 mile long race.
THE INSIDE OF A GUITAR LOOKS LIKE A LUXURY APARTMENT
Have you ever wondered what the inside of an acoustic guitar looks like? Pretty cool, right? By just looking at this photo without any context, one would think they are looking at an unfurnished apartment with an amazing sun light shining through. This view is pretty wild.
THE FACE OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY ON LIBERTY ISLAND WAITING FOR INSTALLATION, 1885
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The Statue of Liberty is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable monuments in the world. This old photograph was taken in 1885 waiting for its installation. This point of view shows her in a new light and her size is impressive. She stands at 305 feet tall, and the height of just her head is 17 feet tall, with a width of 10 feet.
THIS IS WHAT THE INSIDE OF AN AIRPLANE TRANSPORTING HORSES LOOKS LIKE
It turns out that horses are not only transported by trucks, but airplanes as well. These four-legged creatures are put in specialized containers and even have the option of flying coach, business class, or first class! Not to worry, there are teams who are dedicated to the horses well-being on the flight and make sure they are as comfortable as possible.
A LOW ALTITUDE NIGHT FLIGHT ABOVE NEW YORK CITY
This colorful picture of New York City is truly mesmerizing. It’s probably why they call it the city that never sleeps. If you want to take a flight into New York, do it at night and you can get amazing views just like this one. Turns out, we can actually take helicopter tours over NYC that reveal a different side of the world-famous skyline.
A BISCUIT PRESS FROM A FACTORY THAT SHOWS US HOW THE SHAPES AND WORDING ARE CREATED
What makes the perfect looking biscuit? Well, the reason why factory made biscuits always looks so precise is because they are made using a biscuit press. This photograph shows a glimpse of what a cookie factory looks like and the dough is rolled through the press to create the perfect shapes and markings on the cookies.
THIS IS HOW THEY INSTALL HUGE HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINE TOWERS
If you’ve ever wondered how these huge power lines get installed, well, this is how. The world is such an interesting place that we sometimes we don’t think about how things got here in the first place. This image explains that perfectly. Helicopters are used to install these power lines and work very efficiently.
A CT SCANNER WITHOUT THE COVER ON IT LOOKS LIKE A TIME MACHINE
The architecture of science is an incredible thing. This picture is what a CT scanner looks like without the white cover on it that we are used to seeing. A CT scanner takes a series of in-depth X-rays of your body from different angles. This helps doctors diagnose tumors, internal bleeding, and other injuries to the body.
WITH A POPULATION OF BILLIONS OF PEOPLE, CHINA HAS A LOT OF ABANDONED BICYCLES
This is a picture of thousands of abandoned bikes in China, and it’s an interesting sight to see. We may even call this the bike graveyard. In China, bike sharing became very popular and with the rapid growth of riders, China’s infrastructure wasn’t prepared for such a heavy load of bikes, so many people would just leave their bikes anywhere.
CLIMBING TO THE TOP OF THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
It’s truly amazing what some people will do in order to capture a mind-blowing picture. In 2000, Vincent Laforet climbed to the top of the Empire State Building to photograph some maintenance workers that were fixing the sky scrappers antenna. Crazily enough, Laforet wasn’t wearing a harness and just held his breath and captured this image.
THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE INSIDE OF AN EMPTY BOEING 787
The Boeing 787 aircraft is a huge and spacious dream liner aircraft. It’s even larger when we see it empty with no seats. The picture above was delivered an undisclosed buyer in 2014. This airplane has a capacity of 254 passengers with 22 Business Class seats and 232 Economy class seats.
A MAINTENENCE WORKER CLEANING THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN MEMORIAL
This statue of Abraham Lincoln is a memorial in honor of the 16th President of the United States. It’s definitely a must-see if you travel to Washington D.C. Abraham Lincoln sits at the nations capital at 99 feet tall. The view of a maintenance worker cleaning the statue gives a new perspective of how big this monument really is.
THE INCREDIBLE SIZE OF A FULLY INFLATED HORSE LUNG
This picture shows us just how big a horses lungs really are and what’s even more incredible is that these lungs fit inside a horses body. To put this image into a little bit of perspective, the average human lung capacity is 4 liters and a horses lung capacity is 44 liters.
IN ICELAND THEY INSTALL ELECTRIC PYLONS IN THE FORM OF UNUSUAL IRON GIANTS
Architects in Iceland turned electricity pylons into giant human structures. Aesthetically, it looks awesome. This design is called “The Land of Giants” and was created in 2008. They stand at 150 feet tall and are designed to transport electricity across all types of terrain, day or night.
THIS IS WHAT INDOOR VERTICAL FARMING LOOKS LIKE
Just like natural farming which is typically done outside and in horizontal rows, indoor vertical farming works in a similar way. It allows farmers to grow crops and plants vertically in layers, and indoors. There are also several advantages to indoor vertical farming such as lower water use, shorter growing times, and more productivity in a smaller area. Pretty cool!
THIS IS HOW BIG SOME ROAD SIGNS REALLY ARE
When we are driving on the freeway we notice all different kinds of road signs, but do we really know how big they truly are? This picture shows us a different view of a road sign that’s up close and personal, and they are definitely much larger that we expected.
THIS IS ONE OF DISNEYLAND’S MOST ICONIC ROLLERCOASTERS, SPACE MOUNTAIN, WHEN THE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN TURNED ON
Space Mountain is an extremely popular rollercoaster which is located at Disneyland. The ride is inside of a white dome and is the ultimate space fantasy experience. It’s dark and full of colorful lights that make you feel like you’re in a space galaxy. But, with the lights on is a completely different experience. I guess we know why they say “please keep your hands and legs inside the ride at all times.”
U.S. AIRFORCE PILOT WATCHES A NAPALM STRIKE HIT FROM HIS COCKPIT, VIETNAM, 1963
This is one of the most powerful and rare images taken from the Vietnam war, as a soldier looks on and watches a napalm strike. Unfortunately, this is the harsh reality of war that we must not forget.
A RARE HISTORICAL PICTURE OF ALBERT EINSTEIN’S OFFICE THE DAY HE DIED
When Albert Einstein died, this is what his office and desk looked like. Makes us wonder what he was reading on his seemingly messy and unorganized desk. However, according to research, if your workspace is cluttered, chances are you’re probably a genius.
THE BLUE WHALE IS THE LARGEST ANIMAL EVER TO HAVE LIVED AND ITS HEART WEIGHS 400 POUNDS
A blue whale’s heart from this view is completely mind-blowing and its size puts into perspective just how massive this animal is. A blue whale is an endangered species, but the largest animal known to have lived on planet Earth. It’s a majestic creature that weighs in at 40,000 pounds and has a heart that weighs over 400 pounds. Fun fact: A human heart weighs less than one pound.
“TODAY I LEARNED MY LIFE IS A LIE. AT LEAST IT’S RECYCLING I GUESS.”
We’ve all needed to buy batteries at some point in our life whether it’s for the TV remote or the pretty twinkle lights you have hanging on your balcony. Batteries are used to power things, but what consists of a battery? Looks like batteries are just made of other batteries!
THE FINAL FLIGHT OF THE STS-135 SPACE SHUTTLE BEING CARRIED BY A 747 JET AND ESCORTED BY TWO F-18 PLANES THROUGH LOS ANGELES
This is a picture of the shuttle Discovery being escorted during its final flight and is a really captivating image of a piece of history. This shuttle was NASA’s most flown space plane and during its career the shuttle participated in 39 spaceflights and about 365 days total in space. The Discovery’s flight to Washington D.C. was the last time it would ever see the skies.
WHAT THE BACK OF A BOWLING ALLEY LOOKS LIKE
When we think of bowling, we think about a fun night out with friends, fun games, loud music, junk food, and a good time. However, have you thought about what the back of a bowling alley really looks like? Well, this picture gives us a glimpse, and it’s a bit eerie. It’s definitely way more fun to be in front of the scenes then behind the scenes.
THE WORLD’S LARGEST CONTAINER SHIP UNDER CONSTRUCTION
This ship which is under construction is The Maersk Triple E. It’s currently the largest ship in the world from South Korea. The ship was docked in Copenhagen for one week and became such a hit, nearly 50,000 visitors came to see it. Even tours and exhibitions were provided to the public.
A PANAM PLANE NEEDED TO TRANSPORT A 5 MB HARD DRIVE, 1956
Technology has come a long way since this photo was taken, and it’s mind-blowing now to think that an airplane was needed to transport a 5 MB hard drive. To give this picture a little bit more perspective, this hard drive weighed 2,000 pounds and could store one or two pictures on a smart phone.
THE INSIDE OF THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA IS HOLLOW
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of Italy’s most famous landmarks. The tower is seen by thousands of visitors every year and is located in the Italian town of Pisa. The Tower of Pisa stands at 60 meters tall and leans at a 10 degree angle. It was actually designed to be vertical, but started to lean during its construction. If you take a peek inside, it’s empty.
DA VINCI’S MONA LISA IS RETURNED TO THE LOUVRE MUSEUM AFTER WW2, 1945
The Mona Lisa is undoubtedly the most famous painting in the world and she sits beautifully at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. The Mona Lisa was hidden during the war at the Chateau de Motal in 1943, and then moved back to the Louvre in 1945. Today the Mona Lisa is seen by millions of visitors every year and is so sacred, the painting is displayed behind bullet proof glass.
THE BEGINNING OF GOOGLE STARTED IN A GARAGE AND MOVED TO THE ‘GOOGLEPLEX’
The Google story began in 1995 at Stanford University and was originally called Backrub. Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin started Google in a garage and eventually outgrew it and moved into what is now called the ‘Googleplex.’ Today, Google is the biggest search engine in the world and is the core of everything we do.
THE ADIYOGI SHIVA STATUE IS RECOGNIZED BY GUINESS WORLD RECORDS AS THE LARGEST BUST STATUE IN THE WORLD
The Adiyogi Statue is located in India at the Isha Yoga Center, and was built to inspire people towards their inner well-being through yoga. The statue is 112 feet tall and weighs 500 tons. Using the people in this photo as a scale for size, it’s no surprise that this statue is the largest bust statue in the world.
WHEN YOU CAPTURE AN IMAGE AT THE RIGHT PLACE AND AT THE RIGHT TIME
This picture will definitely make someone look twice because it’s just that unbelievable. The photographer, Justin Hofman, was at the right place and time and captured the most beautiful, yet somewhat terrifying image of a whale deep beneath the ocean water. The whales size compared to the tiny boat creates an amazing juxtaposition. Ironically, whales are among the most gentlest creatures and are unfortunately endangered because of human activity.
A CUBE OF ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN ONE DOLLAR BILLS AT THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK IN CHICAGO
If you’ve never seen what one million dollars looks like, here it is. Encased in this cube is one million dollars in the form of one dollar bills. It also weighs 2,000 pounds! This is located at the Money Museum in Chicago, Illinois where money is created in a fun way with outlandish exhibits.
THE DUN BRISTE SEA STACK IS 350 MILLION YEARS OLD
The Dun Briste is a beautiful cliff that is located in the Irish town of Knockaun. It stands at 150 feet tall and was formed 350 million years ago. It’s not everyday that we see a rock formation that has been around for this many years, and this landmark captures the history of geographical beauty.