Ephemeros for

Heritage & Historic Preservation

A photographic condition record for the buildings and places worth keeping.

Explore the map

Pick a fixed viewpoint

A “spot” is a documented frame — coordinates, compass heading and tilt — that anyone can find again.

Line up with the ghost

The previous photo floats over your camera so every capture matches the original framing exactly.

Watch change unfold

Aligned photos become a timelapse — and an open, research-grade record of how the place changes.

Historic fabric fails slowly, then suddenly. The hairline crack, the slipped slate, the damp bloom on a gable — by the time decay is obvious, it's expensive. Conservation practice calls for regular condition photography; in reality, it happens when someone remembers.

Ephemeros makes the record self-sustaining. A spot at each key elevation of a church, mill, monument or shopfront gives volunteers and visitors a guided frame to re-photograph — and gives the conservation officer an aligned series where every change stands out.

Heritage uses

Condition monitoring — aligned frames make crack propagation, erosion and vegetation ingress visible early.
Restoration records — document works honestly, before/during/after.
Streetscape memory — historic high streets change shop by shop; a spot preserves the whole elevation over decades.
Engagement — QR codes on interpretation boards invite the public to add to the record while they visit.

The archive photos we treasure today were taken by people who thought ahead. Be those people.