New York’s Roaring ‘20s come alive with interactive audio map

The term “Roaring ‘20s” is used to describe a specific period of economic growth, but it’s an apt description for another reason — the decade was quite noisy. Created by a group at the University of Southern California, “The Roaring Twenties” is an interactive site that aims to show this by letting you actually experience those sounds. Focusing specifically on New York City, the site lets you explore sound in three different ways: by location via a map, by date through a timeline, and by the type of sound produced thanks to a handy list. You can hear everything from the clang of a Chinese New Year celebration to the construction sounds of a subway tunnel expansion.

“It offers a sonic time machine,” the creators explain, “an interactive multimedia environment whereby site visitors can not just hear, but mindfully listen to, the noises of New York City in the late 1920s, a place and time defined by its din.” In addition to the sounds — which come courtesy 54 different newsreel clips — the experience is also augmented by other data, like actual noise complaints from NYC residents, that let you read about the horrors of a noisy washing machine. You can explore the sounds of 1920s New York at the source link below.