The view of Boston from Boston Harbor, around 1928-1938. Image photographed by Samuel Chamberlain; courtesy of the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum.
The same scene in 2021:
These two photos show the view of Boston from the northeast, from near the waterfront of the North End. The most visible landmark in the top photo is the Custom House Tower, which was completed in 1915. It was the tallest building in the city by a considerable margin, with a height of 496 feet. At the time, the city had a height limit of 125 feet for buildings, but as a federal building the Custom House was exempt from the limit. This restriction was eventually lifted, but the Custom House Tower would dominate the city’s skyline throughout much of the 20th century, and it remained the tallest building in the city until the construction of the Prudential Tower in 1964.
Today, the Custom House Tower is still here, although it is a much less prominent part of the skyline, due to the many other tall buildings in and around the Financial District. Aside from the skyline, other major changes to this scene include the waterfront, which was primarily comprised of commercial wharves in the top photo. Over the years, the port facilities in Boston have moved out of the North End area, and most of the wharves have been redeveloped with hotels, condominiums, and marinas, as shown in the 2021 photo.