Ithaca, N.Y.--Visitors to Ithaca can step through time

this summer, and all they’ll need is a pair of walking

shoes and a collectible souvenir slide viewer called a

HistoryCam.


The palm-sized viewer holds a dozen historical images of

downtown Ithaca. These are choreographed in a half-mile

walking tour that matches modern streetscapes with

identical views from earlier centuries. The antique scenes

are rich with local landmarks, but it’s the images and

stories behind them that make the HistoryCam tour

remarkable.


“It’s not your average walking tour,” said Judy Dietz,

community liaison at The History Center in Tompkins County

and HistoryCam creator. “One minute you’re walking in the

present, then you click the HistoryCam, and you’re seeing

crowds of people on the same street corner a century ago.

It’s literally time travel at your fingertips.”


Instead of opting for a trendy portable digital platform,

Ithaca’s program is intentionally low tech. The retro-

style slide viewer and companion booklet are reminiscent

of historical souvenirs from a bygone age of American

kitsch.


“This is all about having fun, getting outside, and

learning something in the process,” Dietz said. “It’s

simple by design so that visitors can take home a memory

of Ithaca that’s a little unexpected.”


The History Center designed the tour in part to showcase

its renowned historical image collection. The center’s

archives contain more than 100,000 photographs that

chronicle the community’s history over 150 years. From

Ithaca’s silent film industry to trolleys, trains and

steamboats, the vast collection is free to explore at The

History Center’s Research Library.


HistoryCams are available throughout Ithaca in hotels,

B&Bs, gift shops, visitor information centers and at The

History Center. Proceeds benefit the History Center. For

more information, visit www.TheHistoryCenter.net.


Less than a day’s drive from everywhere in the metro

Northeast, Ithaca is a progressive community renowned for

breathtaking gorge waterfalls, outstanding recreation and

world-class thinking. Home to Cornell University and

Ithaca College, the city’s rich culture, fine lodging and

abundance of top-quality restaurants make it an ideal base

for any Finger Lakes wine country getaway. For trip-

planning information, contact the Ithaca/Tompkins

Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-28-ITHACA, or

VisitIthaca.com.


Contact:

Bruce Stoff

Marketing Communications Manager

Ithaca/Tompkins Convention & Visitors Bureau

(607) 272-1313

Bruce@visitithaca.com